


Is this real?

by Race_582



Category: Sweet Home (Manhwa), 스위트홈 | Sweet Home (TV)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Graphic Description, Hallucinations, He swears outwardly like a trucker too, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Mild Gore, Nightmares, Not now though, Not really but yes really, Panic Attacks, Psychological Torture, References to bullying, Scars, Self-Harm, Torture, again not really but yes really, hyun su swears a lot inwardly because he’s 18 and in the middle of an apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:35:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29585232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Race_582/pseuds/Race_582
Summary: Once he reached the bottom, it was laughing; loud and booming, and Hyun tried desperately to even out his breathing as he pushed the buzzer. “They hate you…” it sang, voice oozing joy.-Or, the monster inside torments HyunSu
Comments: 47
Kudos: 108





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi :)  
> I know I said I hate writing chapter fics but here we are...  
> Warnings for self harm and panic attacks  
> Enjoy <3

Hyun sighed as he slid down the wall, his backpack and spear sat next to him on the ground. He was in his apartment, the ramen packets and bowls still scattered across the floor. The list had been short, they had enough food so it was mainly personal items; DuSik had asked for some of his wire from his room, and Hyun couldn’t stop himself from wandering into his own apartment. His body ached, a constant reminder of the protein monster on the 10th floor. His hand wandered to his pocket, thumb ghosting over the clean metal inside. He promised himself he wouldn’t do this anymore, but he couldn’t see a reason not to. He was a monster, a monster that healed too fast. He felt the need to punish himself, he wasn’t sure why but the pit of guilt that sat heavy in his stomach made him reach for the familiar metal. 

He pulled it out, and held it in his hand. It felt cold, just like the rest of him as he pushed the blade up. His sleeve followed, and before he could stop himself he slid it across his wrist. He welcomed the familiar burn as he watched the blood pool.  _ I’ll heal. It's fine.  _

Ten minutes later, after the tears on his cheeks had dried and the pain in his wrist had dulled, he stood on shaky legs. He pocketed the blade, and walked out of the apartment. Spear in hand, he made his way down the stairs. The pain and exhaustion subsided, but the voice still persisted. 

_ “You confuse me Hyun. You want nothing more than to die, for the pain to stop, yet you won’t let me in? You won’t end your life? Why is that?” _

Hyun shook his head, desperate for the monster to stop as he focused on the noise in his headphones. 

_ “Are you afraid of failing again? Do you not want the others to see you how your family saw you? A failure? What would they think of you if they knew, hm? If they knew that you were a monster even when you were human, if they knew how weak and pathetic you were. How you would cry yourself to sleep?” _

It cackled inside his head, and then it was in front of him. Lips pulled into a smirk and eyes pools of black. Hyun stopped, breathing in shaky breaths as he closed his eyes. But it was there too, the face,  _ his face.  _

“ _ All you have to do is open up to me. Open up to me and I’ll make the pain go away…”  _ then it reached forward, gripping on to Hyun’s wrist and pulling his sleeve up. “ _ You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to punish yourself, you just have to accept me. Why is that so hard for you? You want to die don't you?”  _ He pulled his wrist back, sneering as he walked away. The voice didn’t stop as he traveled down the stairs. 

Once he reached the bottom, it was laughing; loud and booming, and Hyun tried desperately to even out his breathing as he pushed the buzzer.  _ “They hate you…”  _ it sang, voice oozing joy. Eunyu opened the door, expression disinterested as she chewed her gum. He shoved past her, desperate to get away from the prying eyes of the survivors. His hand shook as he felt the monster grip his wrist,  _ not real. Not real.  _ It’s grip tightened until he felt the hand under his skin, fingers gliding over his bones. 

He ignored the worried expression of Hyuk as he dumped the bag down on the table. He was half way through the door before he called out. “You alright?”  _ Why was he being nic- oh, yeah.  _ Hyun stopped, closing his eyes as the monster sang in his mind. He’d forgotten that they’d let him out of the arcade,  _ how could he forget?  _ “Look at me.” Hyuks firm voice cut through his clouded mind as he turned his head. Keeping his expression void of emotion, he looked down, preparing for whatever lecture he was about to receive. “Bad run?” The older asked simply, standing up and folding his arms. 

Hyun nodded his head, he couldn’t really understand whatever Hyuk was saying. All he could focus on was the monster pinching his veins and cackling inside his head.  _ Is that what I sound like when I laugh? _ He looked up, focusing on Hyuks lips in an effort to lip read, the laugh was too loud. He vaguely saw a good job being muttered, before he nodded his head again and made his way out of the room; unaware of Hyuk calling out to him. 

He headed straight to the bathroom; head swimming and body aching as he leaned against the sink. “ _ You wanna see what else I can do?”  _ Hyun sighed, dropping his head. “ _ Watch this…”  _ he could hear the smile in his voice, confusion crossing his features before he felt a sharp sting in his wrist. He gasped, pulling up his sleeve. Hyun watched in horror as the previous cuts reappeared, opening up and bleeding sluggishly. A whimper passed his lips as he felt day old injuries appear on his body again. He felt one of his ribs snap before his arms gave out and he crashed to the floor. The monster was laughing again, and Hyun felt tears pool in his eyes. He was lost, he didn’t know if this was real or not and that made it so much worse. He couldn’t tell if he was hallucinating, if his cuts were reopening, if the punctures were bleeding. 

Hyun sat up, moving to sit against the wall as his body bled and broke. He needed help. He thought through the list of survivors, trying to think of someone he could go to.  _ DuSik? No, no, I would look crazy. Eunhyuk? No, they were getting closer, he couldn't risk that. Grandpa? (Why can’t I think of his real name?) No, he wouldn’t take it seriously. Ms An? She knew what it was like, maybe she would understand… no.  _ He whimpered again, overwhelmed by his thoughts. Injuries were still coming back, the monster was still laughing. 

He gave up filtering through the survivors, it was pointless. He was supposed to be strong, the strong monster that saved them; begging for their help would only make them hate him even more. Not to mention the fact that he  _ couldn’t move.  _ He tried pushing himself up, but his arms gave out instantly. Exhaustion washed over him, the familiar darkness trying to lull him to sleep. He resisted. Until he felt his scar open, the deep scar that he tried desperately to forget about. He couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down his face as he saw the memories flash through his mind. It was too much. The monster was singing, Dohuns voice was back, hurling insults at him, memories were piercing his mind. 

  
The protein monster threw him against the wall. 

_ Make it stop _

Dohun landed a kick against his ribs, laughing. 

_ Please  _

His phone rang, the hospital number on the screen. 

_ No  _

He looked in the mirror as he dragged the blade down his wrist. 

_ Someone help me  _

The spider monster pierced his skin as he stabbed it desperately. 

_ Help me _

His old friend pressed a burning cigarette to his hip. 

_ Please, make it stop.  _ And the darkness listened, dragging him into a restless sleep as his breathing slowed. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Get some rest kid.” The monster mocked as Hyun walked through the hall. He stopped once he got near the garage door and leaned against the wall. He slid down with a sigh, bringing his knees to his chest as the monster continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey :)  
> I realised while I was writing this chapter that I had absolutely no idea where I’m going with this so bare with me while i sort myself out  
> Warnings for blood and mild gore
> 
> Enjoy <3

Jaehyun groaned as he sat up, he was restless, his brain unable to shut off despite the late hour. He walked out of the daycare silently, heading to the bathroom as he rubbed his eyes. Walking past the sink, he caught something out of the corner of his eye. At first thinking it must be a shadow, he looked at the dark figure and saw it move; his sleep dazed brain tried to focus on the person. He moved forward, crouching down to take a closer look.  _ Why the hell was someone sleeping in the bathroom? _ “Hyun Su?” He asked once he recognised the boy. He reached forward, shaking his shoulder lightly. His hand felt wet when he pulled away, but he brushed it off, thinking it must be sweat or water from the sink. “Hey kid…” Slowly, too slowly, the younger opened his eyes. He groaned as he lifted his head. 

“Wh-“ he was cut off as a cough ripped through his chest, he wheezed as he felt Jaehyun pull him forward and rub his back. His body ached, the coughing only making it worse.

“Hey, you okay there?” The man asked once the coughing died down, patting Hyun on the shoulder before standing. He held out his hand, pulling the younger up.  _ He shouldn’t be this light.  _ Hyun gripped the sink for support, dropping his head as the memories came back slowly. He lifted his sleeve, squinting in the dark at the clear skin. 

“Bastard…” he muttered, feeling his stomach lightly to check for any other injuries. 

“You’re worrying me kid.” Jeahyun spoke softly, startling Hyun. “Can you tell me what happened? Or why you were napping in the bathroom?” He bent down slightly to catch the boys eye, frowning at the look of discomfort he found. “You wanna talk somewhere else?” Relief flooded Hyun’s features as he nodded his head. They slowly made their way to the store, the boy staggering slightly every few minutes. 

Once they got to the door, Jaehyun pulled out the spare key Sangwook had given him and unlocked it. They entered, sitting down at the small table. 

“How do you have a key?” Hyun broke the silence first, his arms folded on the table and his head resting on top of them.  _ He looks so young like this,  _ the man thought distantly. 

“Oh, Sangwook gave them to me.” He answered, smiling slightly to himself at the memory of the man throwing them at him. Hyun hummed in acknowledgement, turning his head to the side and staring at the empty freezers. “So, want to tell me why you decided to use the bathroom floors as a bed?” Hyun groaned as he thought of an excuse.  _ I can’t tell him, can I?  _

“I passed out. Sorry…” he said simply, the apology falling from his lips automatically. 

“No shit. Was it a bad run?” Hyun nodded his head, guilt forming in his chest at the start of the lie. “What happened?” 

He sighed, sitting up and leaning against the back of the chair. “Protein monster.” Jeahyun nodded, urging him to continue silently. “I’m it’s favourite ragdoll… sometimes he uses me as a frisbee too, which is… an experience.” He said, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he looked at the man’s amused expression. 

“So you’re it’s favourite toy?” Jaehyun teased.  _ You’re just my toy, Hyun. Your feelings don’t matter.  _ Dohun’s voice rang through his mind again as he dropped his head, sighing. “Are you hurt?” 

He snorted,  _ good question.  _ “No. I healed.” 

“ _ Did you?”  _ Hyun flinched at the sudden sneer of the monster's voice.  _ Not now. Please not now.  _

“You okay?” The older asked, concern lacing his voice as he leaned forward slightly. The boy nodded his head as he stood up slowly. 

“I’m gonna go lay down, is that okay?” He asked tiredly as the monster began singing again. Jeahyun nodded, a reassuring smile plastered on his face as he patted him on the shoulder. 

“Get some rest kid.” Hyun nodded and walked away. 

  
  


“ _ Get some rest kid.”  _ The monster mocked as Hyun walked through the hall. He stopped once he got near the garage door and leaned against the wall. He slid down with a sigh, bringing his knees to his chest as the monster continued. “ _ Where’s your little knife Hyunnie? I can feel it, the urge you have to use it again. You don’t have to, I can do it for you.” _ Hyun shook his head, curling his hands into fists  _ “you’re still trying to figure out if it was real or not, aren’t you? That’s adorable… the only way you’ll ever find out is if you ask the others. But you won’t do that, they’ll see how pathetic you are if you do.”  _ He whimpered, burying his head in his knees, silently begging for it to stop. 

“Please just go away…” he muttered, voice muffled. 

“ _ Now why would I do that? You’re so much fun to play with. Why don’t you take a nap, hm? You are tired after all…”  _ Hyun tried to stay awake, but as the monster went silent he felt his eyelids grow heavy and sagged against the wall as sleep took over. 

  
  
  


He sat in the classroom, anxiety brimming in his chest as the class filled. His classmates didn’t look at him, barely acknowledged him as they took their seats. Dohun walked in next, laughing loudly with Kitea; they sat either side of Hyun, smirking as they faced the front. Hyun kept his head down, picking at a cut on his finger absentmindedly as his heart hammered in his chest. The class was silent,  _ too silent.  _ He lifted his head and jumped back. His classmates stood around his desk, leaning close to him with blank expressions. He tried to push his chair back, but someone stood there too. He looked up. Dohun’s face hovered an inch above his, a wicked smile on his face.

Hyun blinked and the room filled with laughter. They were laughing, manic and wild as blood dripped down their faces. He shut his eyes tightly, dropping his head and pushing his hands against his ears. “Not real. It’s not real. It’s a dream, just a dream. Wake up, wake u-“ he stopped when he felt his hand being pulled away from his head. Hyun looked up, catching Kiteas wild eyes before something cool wrapped around his thumb. Before he could react, he felt a snap and a scream ripped through his throat. He pulled his hand desperately, screaming louder as he saw a bloody pair of pliers at the knuckle of his thumb. He heard the finger fall to the floor, his finger. He screamed louder, the pain overwhelming as Dohun cackled and the pliers moved to his pointer finger. “No, no. NO. God please no. Stop, please, I’m sorry. Fuck stop oh god-” 

The pain stopped suddenly as did the laughing, Hyun opened his eyes slowly. He was still at his desk, but he wasn’t in the classroom, he was in a warehouse. The walls were rusty, the pillars covered in dirt and the roof dripped. The warehouse was empty, discarded planks of wood and bottles lay on the floor. He looked up, and jumped back, falling to the floor with a crack. The monster smiled, head propped against his hand, elbow resting against the desk. “ _ You’re so jumpy…”  _ it walked around the table, chuckling as Hyun scrambled against the muddy ground. He felt his back hit something solid, recognising it as one of the pillars at the damp feeling. “ _ Man that was a scary one, huh?”  _ The monster crouched down before the boy, tilting its head in mock sympathy. 

“Fuck you.” He spat, pulling his legs closer to himself. 

“ _ Did you like it? I can make you feel it again if you like…”  _ it’s smile turning wicked before Hyun felt the burst of pain on his thumb. He screamed, the sound echoing against the damp walls. “ _ I’ll make it stop… if…”  _

_ “... _ Never...” he muttered between pants, trying to breathe through the pain in his hand. 

“ _ I’m glad you said that actually, I want to test something.”  _ Then it stood and walked away, humming to itself as it disappeared into the darkness. 

  
  
  


Hyun’s eyes snapped open, heart hammering in his chest and his thumb throbbing. He sat up with a sigh, breathing slow to calm his heart as he leaned against the wall. He rested his head against the cool brick, unconsciously tapping each of his fingers with his thumb. The throbbing dulled as his breathing evened out, he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall and he mentally prepared himself whoever he was going to face. 

“Do you always look like shit?” Eunhyuk’s voice rang through the empty hallway, and Hyun felt relief wash over him at the sound of the older. He stood up, brushing his pants off and facing him. 

“We’re in an apocalypse, forgive me for not looking like a runway model.” Eunhyuk hummed, lowering his head as he smirked slightly. “So what do you want?” An unreadable expression crossed Hyuk’s features before returning to its usual blank stare. 

“There’s not a lot of items, and most of it’s on the lower floors.” Hyun nodded, silently thanking every god in existence that it wasn’t a long run. “I wanted to ask you yesterday, but, are you alright? You looked like we’re gonna faint last night…” Hyun sighed, pushing down the monster quickly as it fought to speak again. 

“Oh yeah, sorry about that. I’m fine.” 

“You didn’t look it.”

“I ran into a few bumps on the run, that’s all.” Hyuk looked hesitant, but he nodded his head and passed Hyun the list. They walked silently to the camera room, Hyuk wishing him luck as the younger gathered his bag and spear. He kept his head down and expression neutral as he walked through the lobby, it was empty except for Jeahyun and Jisoo, who simply nodded his way. 

  
  
  


Hyun sighed tiredly as shoved a bottle of deodorant in his bag. He was in Hye-in’s apartment, the smell of dog food and hairspray overwhelmed his senses; he stood up quickly, exiting the room and closing the door. He listened closely to his headphones; once he felt safe he sat down against the closed door with a grunt. 

The monster started singing again, it was nursery rhyme, one his mother would sing when he was sick to help him sleep. It would calm him enough for his eyes to finally close so he could drift off; now though, it filled him with dread and anger. 

“ _ Can I test my theory Hyunnie?”  _ It asked once the song finished, Hyun only sighed in response and closed his eyes. It giggled before he felt a sickening crunch. The now familiar pain sent shocks from his hand up his arm. He pressed his other forearm into his mouth, biting on the sleeve of his hoodie in an effort to quiet his screams. He looked down, his fingers were still there, void of blood or pliers but he could still feel the agonising pain sending shockwaves through his body. He bent his fingers in a desperate attempt for his mind to sort itself out, instead bringing a new wave of white hot pain. Hyun whimpered into his arm, tears falling down his face as he shut his eyes. The last thing he heard was the sound of the monster's gleeful cheers before the darkness welcomed him once again. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp...  
> I used Kitae from extracurricular because I couldn’t think of any other bullies and I thought he would fit  
> If you’ve watched Tokyo Ghoul you’ll know where I got the inspiration for the pliers-  
> There may or may not be comfort soon  
> Thanks for reading :D
> 
> Race <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyun pulled one of his knees to his chest as he ate silently, aware of the pair of eyes on him.  
> “What?” He huffed eventually.  
> “We need to talk.”  
> “Then talk.” Hyun swallowed, resting his head against his knee as Hyuk started speaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> This one is a little longer than the other chapters, I kinda got carried away near the end....  
> Anyways warnings for mentions of self harm, intrusive thoughts (kinda) and an overwhelming amount of fluff

Passing out on the 5th floor wasn’t exactly what Hyun Su had planned, passing out and then immediately throwing up when he woke up? Certainly unplanned. He groaned once he felt the spasms in his stomach die down, sitting up and resting his head against the cool metal of the apartment door. A fowl taste remained in his mouth as he suddenly became aware of how disgusting he felt. Parts of his joggers were stiff with blood, his hoodie was torn and coated in substances that he didn’t even want to think about, he knew he needed to change but his room was 9 floors up. He surpressed a groan as he stood, using the wall to steady himself when his vision filled with stars;  _ when was the last time I ate?  _

He stumbled to one of the apartments he knew didn’t belong to any of the survivors and rifled through the clothes.  _ I’m stealing clothes from a dead person _ , a pit formed in his stomach at the thought, but the idea of going up 9 floors made his head swim. All of the clothes were too big,  _ not to mention ugly,  _ as he eventually fished out a plain black shirt and walked to the bathroom. Hyun stood in the mirror, dreading taking off his frankly disgusting hoodie. He undid the zip, wincing as he pulled it off, the action pulling at the cuts in his side. He pulled his shirt off next, examining his chest in the mirror as he ran his fingers over the cuts and bruises lightly. Memory’s of high school flashed in his mind, when he would stand in his bathroom and stare at the damage done by his old friends. Pushing the memories aside, he put on the shirt and watched as it fell to his mid thigh; he wasn’t exactly surprised it was too big, he could see his ribs in the mirror. 

Once he’d found some pants and another hoodie he walked back down the stairs, his bag was full and the monster was uncharacteristically silent. 

“Did you run into any trouble?” Eunhyuk asked when he got to the camera room. He shook his head silently, pulling the items out of the backpack and placing them on the table. “You get everything?” He nodded, keeping his head down as he placed the empty bag next his spear. “Are you going to talk to me or…?” Hyun looked up in confusion, head tilting as the other sighed and folded his arms. “You finally changed, thank fuck.” He muttered, face expressionless. 

“Yeah… the others were kinda gross.” He uttered, looking down and playing with the hem of his shirt. 

“You’re telling me… what is it with you and hoodies?”

“They’re comfy.” He replied with a shrug as he picked at the grey material. 

“Right… anyway, the others are eating, you gonna join?”

“Erm, no it’s okay. I’m not hungry.”  _ You don’t need to waste your food on me _ , he wanted to add. 

“Oh. Too bad, I was gonna ask for you to join me…” Hyuk said, a small smile forming as Hyun rolled his eyes.  _ Bastard.  _

“Fine.” The older snorted, muttering something about being a pushover as they headed to the daycare. 

Hyun kept his head down as they walked in, he could feel them all staring as the door shut behind them. Hyuk walked past him, grabbed two trays of food and passed one to Hyun. “We need to talk so we’ll eat in the camera room.” He said quietly, waiting for the younger to nod before they left. 

Hyun picked at the food on the tray, he was waiting for Hyuk to speak when he felt the monster start to wake up. He tensed, curling the hand that rested on his knee into a fist, Hyun expected the normal taunts and laughing, he didn’t expect the image that suddenly came into his mind. It was the blind monster, it’s arm reaching out and gripping onto Hyun, the branch like stalk buried under his skin and pulling his spine. He closed his eyes, dropping the spoon and putting his head in his hands. The monster giggled before going silent again, he breathed deeply, pushing it from his mind before looking back up. Hyuk was staring at him, hints of worry glinting in his eyes as Hyun muttered an apology and picked up the spoon. 

“What was that?” The older asked eventually, placing his spoon down gently and leaning back. 

“Hm?”

“Nevermind,” he sighed as he leaned forward to finish his food. “Why aren’t you eating?”

“I told you I wasn’t hungry.”

“You need the energy, plus if you don’t eat it it’s just a waste of resources. Resources we don’t have.” Hyun knew what he was doing, guilt tripping him into eating, it worked, he picked the spoon and ate slowly. Hyuk smirked as he watched the younger finally eat. Hyun pulled one of his knees to his chest as he ate silently, aware of the pair of eyes on him. 

“What?” He huffed eventually. 

“We need to talk.”

“Then talk.” Hyun swallowed, resting his head against his knee as Hyuk started speaking. 

“Jaehyun told me he found you passed out in the bathroom, and you wouldn’t tell him what happened.” The younger groaned as he thought up an excuse.  _ Really Jaehyun? “ _ So tell me. What happened.”

“I told him what happened, and I told you yesterday, it was just a bad run.”

“You’ve never passed out in the bathroom before. We need to know if there’s something wrong, Hyun Su. We can’t afford to lose you.”

He snorted, dropping the spoon and leaning back, anger flaring. “Yes, what would you do if your precious little dog died?” Hyuk huffed, sitting back and crossing his arms. 

“You know that’s not what I mean. Don’t twist my words.”

“I’m not twisting your words, I’m just not sugar coating them. I’m fine, it was a bad run, that’s all.”

“Bad enough for you to faint?”

“It happens…” he turned his head, exhaustion replacing the anger. Another image flashed in his mind; The protein monster tore Hyuk in half. Hyun winced and shut his eyes tightly. “Can I go?”

“No. Finish your food and listen to me.” Hyuk said firmly, glaring at the younger. “Jaehyun’s worried, so am I. Not because you’re valuable or whatever sick thing your mind came up with, because you fucking matter to us, idiot. So if you’re not going to tell us what’s wrong, at least take care of yourself.” Hyun listened quietly, heart twisting at the older’s words. He nodded once he finished, setting down his spoon and glancing at the others face. It was void of emotion, unsurprisingly, but there was something in his eyes, a look he couldn’t quite place. “You can go, I’ll take the trays back.” He muttered a small thank you before walking out. 

He kept his head low as wandered down the long hallway, running through the thoughts in his head silently when he heard someone walk behind him. “There ya are.” He turned quickly to GilSeob’s bright smile. “You busy? I could use your help.” Hyun nodded quickly, accepting the distraction to his thoughts.

They walked quietly, eventually heading up the steps to the “secret agent hideout”, as the man put it. The children were sitting on a blanket, the boy looking through the binoculars at his sister. Hyun smiled slightly at the sight. “I have to go do something with DuSik so could you watch them for me? Jinok is busy and well, they like you so…” The younger gaped at the man,  _ I am not capable of taking care of children. Is he insane?  _ “Don't look at me like that. I trust you. As long as you don’t eat them, it’ll be fine.” Hyun’s eyes went wide at the statement. “I’m kidding! You’ll be fine. Be nice to your big brother okay, I’ll be back soon.” He said to the children, flashing one last smile to the younger before jogging out quickly.  _ Shit.  _

YeongSu looked up and smiled brightly before he stood and ran over to the teen, he grabbed Hyun’s hand and pulled him to the corner. “Can I ask you something?” SuYeong asked suddenly, shuffling forward. Hyun crossed his legs and nodded his head, smiling warmly as the children’s eyes lit up. “What’s it like up there? Are there monsters everywhere? Do you have to fight them every time you go up?” She fired off the questions enthusiastically while Hyun tried not to sigh. 

“Well… it’s quiet up there. There’s only a few monsters left.” The children’s eyes lit up as they moved closer, YeongSu gripping onto his dinosaur tightly. Then the monster giggled, and the monster with long tongue pierced both their body’s in one. Hyun clenched his fist, breathing deeply as he smiled in an effort to hide his discomfort.  _ Really? Now? _

“Can… can you tell us more?” The boy asked, eyes wide with curiosity. Hyun was reluctant, he wasn’t good with kids or social interactions in general, and he was far too aware that one slip up and he would traumatise them further. 

“Well, what do you want to know?” He decided to ask, hand fumbling with the zip on his hoodie. 

“Did you kill them all?” The boy suddenly blurted out, earning a nudge from his sister. “Sorry…”

“No, no it’s fine. I didn’t kill them all, I think they killed each other.” He murmured the last part, mainly to himself. 

“They killed each other?” SuYeong asked, tilting her head,  _ when did she learn to do that? _

“Erm, well I’m not sure. But do you remember how the big monster attacked the blind monster?” They nodded, “well I think that happens a lot. I’m not too sure though, it’s only a guess. But there are a lot less monsters up there than there used to be.” He tried to keep his tone light, wanting to keep the children calm despite the topic. 

“Woah…” the older chuckled at their expressions, awe and curiosity. SuYeong looked hesitant before muttering, “They say...they say that you’ll become a monster one day. Is that true?” Hyun froze, body tensing.  _ Of all the questions… _

“I-“

“Is that what happens when your eyes go black? It’s the monster?” YeongSu suddenly interrupted, looking frightened. 

“I… yeah…” They looked at each other knowingly as Hyun’s heart raced. 

“Do you know what monster you’ll turn into?” 

_ “That’s a good question Hyunnie… what will we turn into…?”  _ He smiled tightly, ignoring the monster inside his head as the children shuffled forward even more. 

“Erm… no?”  _ This is why I don’t babysit.  _

“I think you’ll be awesome. Like that woman was, you’ll be big and strong.” SuYeong said, smiling happily. 

“Yeah definitely! You won’t be like the other ones, I know it.” YeongSu added. 

“Wh- you’re not scared?”

“Why would we be scared? The first time your eyes went all black you protected us, and then when you saved us all from that spider monster. Plus you’re nice, you won’t hurt us.” SuYeong said confidently. It was ridiculous, the amount of faith they children had in him. The way they beamed at him made his heart swell, they trusted him despite how disgusting he was. Despite how bad of a person he was, despite the way his eyes turned black and the monster inside his head they still shuffled closer to him. He chuckled, lowering his head before reaching out to ruffle the young boy's head. 

“There’s something else I wanted to ask, but grandpa said I couldn’t…” He dropped his head slightly, pulling the toy closer to his chest. 

“YeongSu! Grandpa said no.” She said firmly, sending an apologetic look in Hyun’s direction. He could already guess what the question was about, he wasn’t sure when they had seen it, but he couldn’t blame them for wanting to know. 

“It’s okay, what’s your question?” He asked, smiling calmly. 

“Well… I was just wondering… how did you get your scar?” The boy asked consciously.  _ There it is.  _

“Erm… it’s kind of a long story.” _ Now how hell do I explain this? _

”Can I see it…?” SuYeong slapped her brother lightly, shaking her head. 

“I- sure…” His anxiety spiked as he pulled his hoodie off, placing it on the floor next to him and holding out his arm. The boy’s eyes widened, looking at his sister before reaching out. He gently brushed the raised skin, before he stood up. The boy sat next to him against the wall, SuYeong followed, sitting on his other side. He chuckled slightly as YoungSu brushed the scar again. 

“Why… why are there loads of them?” He asked, looking into Hyun’s eyes. 

“I- erm, I’m not sure…” he had no idea how to answer their questions, unsure whether to simply tell the truth or not.  _ It’s not like it was a secret, all the others knew what it meant.  _

“Did you do it to yourself?” The girl asked quietly, staring at the scar sadly. His eyes widened, arm tensing under the boy's fingers. 

“Yeah, I did…”  _ might as well.  _ YeongSu’s fingers stilled.

“Wha- why?!” He yelled, startling Hyun, causing him to flinch. “You hurt yourself?” The boy said in a calmer tone, looking down at the scar angrily. It was cute, despite everything. 

“Why?” The girl asked quietly. 

The teen sighed, relaxing when he felt the boy’s fingers poking the scar gently. “Guys… it’s complicated…”

“Don’t tell us we’ll understand when we’re older please.” The boy said, it struck Hyun how calm he sounded. 

“No. No you won’t understand when you’re older. At least I hope not. I hope you never understand.” He said firmly. The children nodded, understanding that that was the end of the conversation, they both stared at his forearm, SuYeong moving to hold his other hand. The older turned his head in surprise, catching the younger’s eyes slip closed. She shuffled closer until she rested her head against his shoulder calmly; the boy then lifted Hyun’s arm up, moving until he was laying in his lap, only then did he let Hyun’s arm go, placing it on top of him protectively. The teen chuckled as he let go of SuYeong’s hand and freed his other arm, wrapping it around the girl gently. She sighed happily, relaxing completely against him. 

  
Hyun wasn’t sure how long he sat like that, both children curled up to him, sleeping soundly when he felt a wave of exhaustion hit him. With the monster finallt quiet, the boys soft snored lulled him to sleep. 

That’s how Gilseob found them, curled up together in the corner. He bent down, retrieving the teens hoodie and draping it around the trio as best as he could. “Grandpa…?” Hyun Su mumbled sleepily, eyes opening slightly and looking up at the man crouched in front of him. 

“Go to sleep kiddo.” He said gently, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from the teens eyes. He mumbled something before his eyes slipped closed and he fell back asleep. It was only after the man picked up the binoculars to check outside one last time that he realised what the teen had called him, he smiled warmly. Gazing at the three children, his heart swelled. Gilseob set the binoculars down gently, silently walking away.  _ There’s no way I’m not getting a photo of this.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeez that was way fluffier than I intended  
> Fun fact one of the images the monster gives Hyun Su is based off my most common intrusive thought so that’s fun :D  
> Also I’m terrible with kids so I had no idea how to write them  
> More action (I hope) in the next chapter  
> Thanks for reading 
> 
> Race <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before he could open his mouth, he heard the snap of pliers and the white hot pain he was far too familiar with. He bit down on his lip, drawing blood as his back arched. The teen brought the arm that was draped over YeongSu’s body to his face, pressing his forearm into his eyes as they filled with tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi :)  
> I really don’t like this chapter lmao I couldn’t seem to get it right but I knew if I didn’t post it I would never get it done so  
> Warnings for panic attacks  
> Enjoy

“DuSik, look at this...” Gilseob knocked on the door gently, phone in hand. 

“What’s up? Why are you smiling so much?” The man chuckled before throwing the phone to the other. He picked up the device, raising his eyebrows before looking at the screen. “Oh my god… when was this?” DuSik’s eyes widened as he looked at the photo of the teen cuddled with the children. 

“Just now. I got Hyun Su to look after them while I helped them. He must have gotten tired from his run.” He chuckled as he walked behind the man, looking at the photo and patting his shoulder. 

“Wait, why Hyun? What about JinOk?” DuSik hasn’t stopped staring at the photo, a warm smile creeping onto his face. 

“Wanted to give her a night off. And you’ve seen how the kids are around him, they like him. Not to mention that the only time I’ve seen that damn boy smile is around them.” Gilseob shrugged, plucking the phone from the man’s hand and pocketing it. 

“Ah, so you’re worried about him too…” DuSik adjusted as Gilseob sat in the spare chair. 

“What? Where did ya get that from? No. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He said, looking away. 

DuSik snorted, moving closer, “don’t play dumb, it makes you look like even more of an idiot. You made him take care of them to make him feel better, because you’re worried” 

“Fine. Yes, I am. You noticed too?”

“Hard not to. Kid looks worse every day. Thinking about talking to EunHyuk about it.” The man sighed as Gilseob nodded. 

“Why don’t we talk to him now? God knows that boy doesn’t sleep… he’ll still be awake.” They agreed, making their way out of the workshop and towards the camera room. 

“Oh, did I tell you what he called me?” Gilseob said as they passed the daycare, a smirk pulling at his lips. 

“Hyun?” 

“Mhm, he called me grandpa.” DuSik chuckled lightly, shaking his head as the smile on his face grew. “I mean he was half asleep, but still, cute. Made me feel 20 years older though…” the other man slapped his side lightly. 

“Of course you’d complain… idiot.” 

  
  


Gilseob knocked on the door, sighing internally at the sight of Hyuk staring at the cameras as he walked in the room. DuSik followed, coming to a stop a few feet away from the teen. He turned his head at the sound of the two men, expression blank as he put his rubix cube down. 

“It’s late, you should both be sleeping.” He said lightly. 

DuSik snorted, scanning his face. “So should you.” Hyuk shrugged, glancing between the two men before sighing. 

“What can I help you with?” 

“It’s about Hyun Su.” Gilseob said easily, closing the door and pulling up a chair next to DuSik. The boy sighed again, a hint of emotion flashing across his face before vanishing. He hummed, urging the older to continue. “There’s something wrong with him. Not sure what… but there’s something.” 

“Where is he now?” Hyuk asked, eyes glancing at the door briefly. 

“With the kids.” DuSik said, smiling slightly to himself as he pictured the photo. “He’s asleep.” 

“Okay, good.” He relaxed slightly, not going unnoticed by the elders. “What do you mean there’s something wrong?”

“Like I said, we’re not sure what, but he’s struggling. You saw how he came back yesterday? Looking like he was seconds away from dropping dead?” Hyuk nodded, a pit settled in his stomach as remembered shouting after Hyun, watching as he all but ran out of the room hyperventilating. 

“Could be exhaustion… you said he’s sleeping with the kids?” 

“Yeah, why?” 

“Nothing, it’s just he normally avoids sleeping around others. If he’s willing to sleep with them he must be tired.” DuSik and Gilseob looked at each other knowingly. “We’ll leave it for tonight if he’s sleeping, see how he is tomorrow.” Hyuk said as he stared at the wall behind the two men, his hands itched for something to do, but the idea of fidgeting in front of the two men made him feel uneasy. They both nodded, telling him to get some sleep sternly before leaving. 

  
  
  


Hyun woke slowly to the morning sun shining through the small gap in the wall, shuffling slightly as he became aware of the two children sleeping against him. He gave up eventually, slumping back against the wall. He rubbed at his eyes,  _ I didn’t have a nightmare?  _

The teen was on the edge of sleep once again, when he felt the monster start to humm. It was oddly calming at first, until the sound picked up speed, becoming faster and louder every second and making Hyun’s heart beat anxiously. It continued until the monster was simply screaming, an ear piercing scream that left him biting back a groan. 

_ “You care about them… how cute.” _ It purred teasingly _ , “they look so fragile like this, don’t you think?”  _ Hyun stayed silent, shutting his eyes tightly in an odd effort to make the monster stop. “ _ Don’t ignore me, you bratt.”  _ It’s tone changed instantly, dripping venom and anger that sounded far too like Dohun for Hyun Su’s comfort; but he kept silent, despite the things taunting. “ _ Whatever, If you’re not going to listen to me then you leave me no choice…”  _ Hyun’s heart raced at the monster's words, then he was hit with the realisation. Before he could open his mouth, he heard the snap of pliers and the white hot pain he was far too familiar with. He bit down on his lip, drawing blood as his back arched. The teen brought the arm that was draped over YeongSu’s body to his face, pressing his forearm into his eyes as they filled with tears. The hoodie that was draped over his shoulder went unnoticed as it slipped off, overwhelmed from the pain that only got worse when he heard the snap again. His arm tensed painfully as it rested on SuYeong’s shoulder,  _ I need to get out of here.  _ Hyun bit the inside of his cheek as he brought his arm down and gently shook the boy awake. 

The boy woke up slowly, head turning as he tried to go back to sleep.  _ Snap.  _ The teen couldn’t suppress the whimper that fell from his lips, it succeeded in waking the boy however, as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Hyun Su? He asked, voice slow from sleep. 

The teen smiled tightly, resting his arm against his thigh and gripping his knee. “Hey, I need to… I need to go to the bathroom, sorry.”  _ Snap.  _ He coughed,  _ better than screaming,  _ waking up the girl that rested on his side. 

“Hyun needs to go to the bathroom…” He said to the girl quietly. “Can we keep your hoodie until you get back?” The boy asked, glancing between his half awake sister and the older, who nodded quickly. 

“Of course, I’ll be right back.” He staggered as he all but ran out of the room, thinking desperately of where to go. It was too early for everyone to be awake, but he couldn’t risk someone like Hyein finding him. He braced his arm against the wall, his hand sending unbearable waves of pain up his other arm. 

The teen was halfway to the bathroom when he felt the fifth snap, the feeling was overwhelming, sending him crashing to the floor before he could brace himself. He leaned back against the wall, desperately pulling in small breaths in an effort to control the sensation. Despite being on the edge of consciousness, he looked around, recognising the door to the camera room.  _ Of course.  _ The boy tried to even his breathing in an attempt to stay quiet. He heard the monster giggle menacingly, sending another wave of panic through Hyun as he silently begged for it to stop. 

He wasn’t sure when he’d shut his eyes, or when he had started drifting in and out of consciousness when he heard a distant voice. “Hy…. Wh…. he- yo…. alri….Hyu…. loo...a….” Hyun opened his eyes at the sound of voice that wasn’t his own, eyes squinting against the brightness of the hall. He recognised the other teen boy in front of him; it was then that he felt the snap and white flash in his other hand and whimpered brokenly. 

“Help…”  _ please make it stop.  _ He wanted to add, but the words died in his throat as his tear filled eyes found EunHyuk’s worried ones. The other started talking but it was drowned out by ringing in his ears as his vision started to fade black at the edges. Then he felt one of his arms being pulled up, and a hand grip around his waist, the younger shut his eyes again as a wave of nausea crashed over him. Distantly, he could hear the older murmuring into his ear, if he was conscious enough he would be surprised by the soft tone and comforting words. 

  
Hyuk all but dragged him into the camera room, kicking the door shut before pulling the younger as far away from the entrance as he could. He set the boy down next to the sleeping bag that lived in the corner as gently as could, strings of comforting words falling to his deaf ears. He rushed to grab a bottle of water before returning and sitting cross legged in front of the whimpering teen and watching him anxiously. He was curled into a ball, shaking and hyperventilating as he rested his head against the cool tile of the wall; his hands were pulled to his chest protectively, setting off alarm bells in the older’s mind. _How am I supposed to calm him down?_

He reached out, placing his hand on Hyun’s knee and rubbing small circles against the material with his thumb, “Hyun Su you need to calm down, alright? I’m here, you’re in the camera room, you’re fine.” He attempted to soothe, but the words only seemed to upset the teen further. 

Hyun could make out the hand on his knee and the small circles of the other teen but he struggled to focus on his presence when the monster started singing, teasingly sending small shocks to the fingers that were supposedly not there. He could hear the calming words but so did the monster; not wanting to let Hyun rest any time soon, he went for another finger.  _ Snap.  _ Hyun curled even tighter into himself, the pain so overwhelming that he could do nothing but gasp painfully as his shaking increased. Hyuk’s hand vanished,  _ no please don’t go-  _ but then he felt a pair of hands under his arms and the feeling of being pulled into the others lap. Hyun froze, caught off guard and expecting pain, but instead the other adjusted him until he was laying against his chest, head resting on the older’s shoulders. There was a hand in his hair and the younger couldn't help but curl into the comforting warmth. 

“Hyun I need you to listen to me okay?” Hyuk spoke gently, earning a desperate nod from the teen. “Alright, I want you to focus on my heart beat okay? Can you do that?” Hyun shifted until his ear was pressed against his chest, shutting his eyes as he held his hands to his chest. “Good job, that’s good Hyun. You’re doing great…” Hyuk brushed his fingers through his hair in an effort to ground the shaking boy in his arms. He slowed his breathing as best he could, trying not to show how scared he was. 

They sat like that for half an hour; Hyun curled into the older’s chest, tears soaking his T-shirt as he shook, and Hyuk holding the boy to his chest tightly, fingers brushing through his hair softly as he muttered words of comfort. 

Eventually Hyun stopped shaking, his breathing evening out and his body relaxing. He buried his head in Hyuk’s chest, too exhausted to care about how pathetic he looked. The other kept stroking his hair, but Hyun could feel his heart slow when he realised Hyun wasn’t on the verge of hyperventilating himself into unconsciousness. “Hey…” Hyuk spoke softly, smiling to himself when he felt the younger sigh. 

“M’ sorry…” was his only response, throat raw from the harsh breathing. 

“Shut up.” He sighed, “do you need anything? And tell me the truth.” 

“Water…?” Hyun mumbled, voice barely above a whisper. He felt Hyuk shift slightly before he heard the sound of a bottle opening. His hands were gripping onto the older’s shirt tightly and the last thing he wanted to do was let go in fear of him moving. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a hand hold the back of his neck and the bottle being pressed to his lips. 

“Slowly. Don’t make yourself sick.” The other said gently, pulling the bottle away when it was half empty. He placed it next on the floor, reaching out and brushing away the tears that remained on the younger’s cheeks with his thumb. “I know you’re probably tired, but I need to know what happened. Is that alright?”

Hyun stiffened, burying his head back in the others chest as his brain short circuited. It was only then he realised that the pain in his hands has completely gone, leaving a slight numb feeling in its place. He removed one of his hands from the death grip he had on his shirt and stretched his fingers out experimentally. He started tapping his thumb against each finger, counting silently to make sure. He relaxed again. 

“You alright?” Hyuk asked instead, scratching his scalp gently. 

“It’s a long story…” Hyun coughed, lowering his head. “You wouldn’t understand anyway, think I was crazy.”

The older sighed, “I won’t, I promise. You can tell me.”

Hyun was too tired to argue,  _ he was literally laying in his lap, how much worse can it get?  _ Stringing together the right words was harder than he thought, but Hyuk waited patiently, fingers never stilling. “Fingers- the voice…” he shook his head, breath picking up at the thought of the monster returning. Hyuk shushed him quietly, shifting until Hyun’s head was resting on his shoulder. He stilled his hand, gently pushing Hyun’s face into the crook of his neck in an attempt to calm his breathing. It worked, and then his fingers were tangled in his hair again and Hyun realised that he barely even understood what was happening himself. “Erm… you know that the monster talks to me? Right?” Hyuk nodded. “It likes to… play games I guess… I don’t know how to explain it. Sorry.” 

“Don’t apologise, it’s okay... So the monster did this? What did it say?” Hyuk asked curiously, sensing that there was more to it. 

“It didn’t say anything, not really anyway. It just. It sings, screams, laughs. All the creepy shit…” The older snorted, still unsure why it would have such an effect on the younger. “It can make me… feel things...? That aren’t real.. They feel real, but they never are.”

“Like hallucinations?” 

“Yeah, I guess…” he sighed, thinking how to phrase his next words without making Hyuk want to throw him out. “His favourite is the pliers-” his breath caught in his throat as he tried to focus on the others fingers in his hair, the smell of cheap soap surrounding him. He had stayed silent, allowing Hyun time to gather his thoughts. “I know it’s not real, but it’s hard to tell the difference when you feel the pliers snap shut around your fingers. It’s hard to tell yourself to calm down when you can feel your fingers getting cut off-“ Hyuk hugged him tighter, other hand stroking his back and it was only then that Hyun realised he had started crying again. 

“So… the monster? The infection inside of you practically tortures you?” Hyuk asked, his tone was sharp causing Hyun to look up for the first time. His expression was unusually, well, expressive, anger coated his features causing Hyun to shrink back slightly. 

“I wouldn’t say torture. It’s just… I’m sorry I’m making a big deal out of nothing.”

“Shut up. Just because you lack self preservation doesn’t mean this doesn’t matter. You almost fainted. Again.” His voice was firm and cold, contrasting the fingers currently brushing through his hair calmly. 

“I thought we’d moved past that…” Hyun mumbled, leaning his head against the older’s shoulder tiredly. 

The other snorted, the sound vibrating through his chest. “No I just let you go because I couldn’t tell if you were seconds away from killing me or having a panic attack… Just tell me one thing,” the younger nodded, “was it the monster? The reason you passed out in the bathroom, was it because of the monster?” He took a deep breath, sighing before nodding again. The other sighed in response, before nodding and going silent. 

  
  


They stayed like that until they could hear the faint sounds of the others waking up; eventually they moved, standing up slowly as their joints protested. “Where’s your hoodie?” Hyuk asked, watching as the other held his forearm to his stomach consciously. 

“Shit. With the kids..” he groaned, scratching the back of his head. 

“Of course it is. Of all the days you decided to parent…” 

“Hey I didn’t decide to parent. Gilseob tricked me.” Hyuk snorted, taking off his flannel and throwing it at the younger. 

“I want that back later.” Nodding, he put it on slowly, unsurprised when the arms fell past his fingers. “Come on let’s get food.” They walked out, a comfortable silence falling over them as they walked to the daycare. The room was only half full, everyone still half asleep as they ate their food. The pair collected their trays, sitting in the corner quietly as an attempt to avoid the stares; specifically EunYu’s, a smug grin plastered on her face as she placed her empty tray on the front table and walked out. 

“Your sister is so weird…” Hyun muttered, earning a snort from the older. He pushed his food around, not going unnoticed by Hyuk. 

“Not hungry?” Hyun looked up, catching the others eyes where he could spot the faintest hint of worry. Shaking his head he looked back down, moving the rice around with his spoon as he avoided the others eyes. “Just eat what you can. Save the rest for later.” Relaxing slightly he flashed a grateful smile to the other before eating a small bite and putting the spoon down. 

“Oh my god that’s so cute-“ Jisoo's voice echoed through the otherwise silent room as the two children walked in. SuYeong collected their food, drowning in Hyun’s grey hoodie, rubbing at her eyes with the sleeve tiredly as she passed her brother a tray. They walked up to the two teens with the food, sitting down next to them as the elders lowered their heads in an attempt to hide their smiles. 

“I want that back.” Hyun said, picking up his spoon and pointing it at the girl sitting next to Hyuk accusingly. 

The older simply snorted, “I don’t think you’re ever getting that back…” 

“Then you’re not getting this back, simple as.” The children laughed at the teens bickering, the others pretending not to watch as the normally stoic boys smiled at each other. 

  
  


The pair sat at the table in the camera room, looking over the food plans, they’d talked about Hyun going on a run, but one look at the way his hands shook every few seconds and Hyuk had made up his mind. “Okay so you’ve got food from how many floors?”

“Bottom ten. The top ones I haven’t managed to go through fully yet. Half of it’s probably inedible by now though…” Hyun watched as Hyuk flicked the rubix cube as he leaned back.

“Not all of it. The top floors should at least have cans of food, they’ll be something.”

“Well when should I-'' Hyun was cut off at the sound of screaming coming from outside. They both jumped up, the younger grabbing his spear as they ran out of the room. Both teens sped towards the sound, the alarm blaring through the hallways as they came to a stop in the lobby. The sound of grass cutters sent familiarity through Hyun as his eyes fell on the blue and black uniform, flies buzzed around the figure. The figure turned, dead eyes staring holes into the teen as he pushed himself to the front of the survivors, helping JinOk stand up before raising his spear. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)  
> Hope that was okay!  
> Like I said I really didn’t like this chapter, I was worried you guys wouldn’t like the comfort lmao   
> Also thank you for all the comments on my previous chapters it makes my day when I see them you’re all so sweet :D  
> Thanks for reading 
> 
> Race <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The monster turned angrily, staggering towards Hyun and waving the weapon in front of him wildly. He jumped to his feet, ducking under the cutters and getting further away from the group as he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi !  
> I really set myself up to fail with this one considering I’ve never written an action scene in my life so I hope it’s not completely terrible  
> Warnings for blood and panic attacks 
> 
> Enjoy <3

_ “I’ll let you deal with this alone Hyunnie…”  _ the monster giggled, fading away and leaving Hyun completely helpless.  _ Fucking dick. _

The flies buzzed. 

The children screamed. 

The metal of the grass cutter scraped against the floor. 

Hyun’s mind filled with half fleshed out plans. 

One thing was clear in the teens anxious mind, however,  _ I can’t let him hurt them.  _ So when the blades came down, he ducked and jumped past the man, landing with a roll against the hard floor and suddenly very grateful DuSik had upgraded his spear to not need the battery pack 24/7. The monster turned angrily, staggering towards Hyun and waving the weapon in front of him wildly. He jumped to his feet, ducking under the cutters and getting further away from the group as he did. They were all quiet as Hyun dodged the swing with precision, their hearts beating wildly everytime the blades got too close. Hyun analysed the monsters' patterns as he went, choosing to play defence as he figured out a tactic; until the cutters stopped mid swing. They swung to the left, Hyun ducked but then they stopped abruptly and swung right, slicing through the teens' side. 

He let out a scream, collapsing to the floor and pressing his hand to his side desperately as the blood poured through his fingers.  _ I’m bleeding on Hyuk’s flannel.  _ The man stood above him, raising the cutters above his head. Hyun’s mind worked fast, kicking one of the monster's legs and letting out a small breath as it crashed to the floor. It was then that he realised his spear had rolled away, no longer attached to him by a cable. He groaned, clawing at the floor in a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand before the monster killed him. He could feel his blood spilling against the cold tiles, morbidly allowing Hyun to crawl faster. 

His weapon was less than a foot away when he heard a scream from behind, he turned quickly, heart hammering in his chest as he was met with the vacant eyes of the security guard. It’s arms were raised high, the sound of the blades scraping against each other turning Hyun’s blood to ice. His spear was too far away, and he was too weak to fight against it while he laid against the floor. Shielding his face with his arm in a desperate attempt to braise himself, he begged silently for it to end quick. The monster groaned, throwing its arms forward. 

_ Bang.  _

The sound of metal meeting flesh never came, instead the hallways echoed with the bang. The monster stopped, hands going slack and dropping the spinning cutters as Hyun barely rolled out of the way in time. 

_ Bang.  _

“No!” He yelled, looking towards the group to find YikYung holding a gun up, finger over the trigger and an empty expression. He looked towards the monster that sat only a few feet away from him, watching as its spine snapped up and it pushed itself up. The shock had dissipated, meaning the monster was now staggering towards them. The group.  _ The kids.  _ Hyun’s mind zeroed in on his anxiety, the world going numb as he pushed himself up. 

The security guard staggered forward, eyes landing on where the bang came from. Cutters swung and the children screamed. 

  
The sound of sizzling filled their ears, accompanying the squelch of blade meeting flesh. The cutters dropped, the hands they filled shook violently as its body seized. YikYung opened her eyes, gun falling to the ground at the sight of a kitchen knife poking through the monster’s skull. Hyun stood behind it, blood coated hands gripped the spear tightly as he held it inside the man’s skin. Eventually the seizing stopped, its head falling forward and slipping off the spear and crashing to the ground. 

“Never….Never do that again…” Hyun panted while he stared at YikYung; dropping the spear as his vision swam, he staggered back, suddenly aware of the blood still spilling down his side. He coughed, feeling something wet hit his lips as he clutched at his hip. Suddenly there was a pair of shoes in front of him, and Hyun’s mind must have taken that as an invitation as he fell forward into the person. They caught him with a grunt, and he felt his body being lowered to the floor as the lobby filled with desperate voices. The sound buzzed around him, feeling his head being propped against the person's shoulder as he coughed again. The teen turned his head,  _ who am I bleeding on?  _ His eyes settled on EunHyuk’s, and he couldn’t help but feel like he was drowning in the sea of anxiety and distress he found there. “I-“ Another cough erupted from his chest as he became aware of the pressure against his side. Hyun could see the other’s lips moving, but he lacked the energy to focus on the words that fell around him. “M- M… S’ry… your… fl’nn’l…” He felt the arms around his middle tighten as another wave of emotion crashed like waves in the other’s eyes. And Hyun, Hyun found comfort in the thought of drowning in Hyuk’s troubled ocean, so he let himself drown; unaware of the screams around him as the darkness swallowed him whole. 

  
  
  


Watching Hyun dodge the monster had sent Hyuk’s heart into a frenzy, the lack of black eyes far too noticeable for his liking. He understood what the teen was doing the second he rolled past the monster, he knew he was pulling it away from the group and it did nothing to ease his anxiety. Then, he heard the sound of blades meeting flesh and he felt his heart stop; the image of Hyun crashing to the ground as the floor turned red would forever be burned in his mind. The feeling of a hand around his arm and a small tug made him reluctantly pull his eyes away from the red and towards the person behind him. It was Jaehyun, and it was only then he realised he’d pushed himself to the front, the man holding onto his arm and a stern look on his face as he refused to let go. 

His heart pounded almost painfully in his chest; the bang made him flinch back, wide eyes landing on the woman a few feet away. Then he heard another bang, and the sound of Hyun yelling. The rest was a blur as he watched the monster stagger towards them as it dragged the spinning blades closer. The hand around his arm grew tighter, another desperate tug backwards. The sound of the sizzling filled the hall, and then the monster was collapsing to the floor. 

“Never….Never do that again…” his heart slowed slightly at the other’s words as he pulled his arm free and walked towards the panting teen quickly. Then he was crashing against him, coughs turning his lips red and he clung to the body in against his chest desperately. The sound of the others turned to white noise as he watched Hyun try to speak. 

“Don’t speak, you’re fine. It’s going to be fine-“ he tried to calm the anxiety, his heart beating wildly against his ribs as an ocean of red spilled from Hyun’s side. 

“M- M… S’ry… your… fl’nn’l…” Hyuk let out a wet cough in an attempt to hide the rising tide of emotion that he hadn’t felt in far too long. 

“Shut up. Just focus on us okay? Fuck come on…” Yuri sent him a panicked look, and Hyuk wished, not for the first time, that the adults would treat him like one of the other teenagers there, he wished desperately that they wouldn’t look at him like that; not when his friend was bleeding a river of red into his lap and onto his flannel. Not when he watched his friends hand cling to his arm. Not when he could feel the grip getting looser. Not when the time between his blinks grew longer. “Hey. No. Hey- stay awake. Come on dipshit can you listen to me for once-“ then Hyun stared into his eyes. They had always been expressive, filled with pain and fear but now, they were calm, too calm; his lips twitched upwards and Hyuk felt the hand get looser. “Dont do this, not now. Hyun- stay awake god damnit…” 

The hand went slack, his body turned limp and the white noise around him grew.  _ No please don’t do this to me. Please Hyun Su- “ _ No- Hyun. Open your eyes-“ He tried his best to keep his face void of the crushing pain and terror as he looked towards Yuri, she sent him a desperate look in return.  _ I don’t know what to do. Don’t make me make the decisions. Not now-  _

“O-Okay erm- medical. Someone clear the medical bay, Yuri can we move him?” The words fell from his mouth. He wasn’t sure what he was saying, but judging by the way Yuri nodded he guessed it was good. “I’ll- Sangwook help me carry him.” He guessed that the man was there, and then he was in front of him.  _ Good guess.  _ The world became a blur as he listed off orders, the adults buzzed around him; and Hyuk couldn’t help but feel like he was drowning, drowning in the sea of red that spilled from his only friend. 

“I don’t even know where to start…” Yuri said once they got Hyuk’s flannel off, the black material of the T-shirt was clinging to Hyun’s side. “We need to get the shirt off.” And once they did they were lost again. All the adults had left, in other words Grandpa ( _ what’s his name again? _ ) had shoved them all out of the room before smiling at Hyuk and patting Yuri on the shoulder. 

One look at Hyun’s side had Hyuk desperately swallowing down the bile that rose in his throat. The grass cutter had sliced through his side like wire against clay, bleeding heavily against the towels pressed to the wound. Hyuk had never been so grateful that the teen was infected, he would be dead 10 times over if he was normal. The only sign that the slash was healing was a small red scar that sat next to the wound, angry and red.  _ Everything was red right now.  _ Yuri looked at him, she was just as lost as he was, but that only made Hyuk feel worse. 

“Erm…” he coughed, scratching the back of his head in an effort to appear nonchalant. “I think the only thing we can do is stitch it. Let his body do the rest…” She nodded, and they got to work; elbow deep in the sea of red. 

Two hours and four hand cramps later, the stitches were done. They wrapped the gauze and bandages around his torso tightly and relaxed. Hyun was breathing, his heart was beating, albeit slowly, but it was beating. 

“We should tell the others how he is. They’ll be worried.” Yuri spoke as they cleaned up, and Hyun kept his expression vacant as he nodded. 

He washed his hands and changed his shirt before walking into the daycare; unprepared for the onslaught of questions and voices that flooded the room as he closed the door. Walking to the front, he pushed his glasses up and looked forward. The survivors were all huddled together, his eyes landed on DuSik who was smiling calmly at him. YeongSu was sat in his lap, a hand on his shoulder, and SuYeong was sat on the chair next to them, Hyun’s hoodie swallowing her as her feet swayed and she held DuSik's other hand. Hyuk felt his heart calm slightly at the sight, the anxiety further edging away as his eyes drifted to Gilseob who gave him a wink. 

He cleared his throat, crossing his arms before speaking. “Hyun Su’s fine. We’ve stitched his side so it’s just a matter of how long it takes his body to heal.” The atmosphere lifted as the faces before him lit up.  _ If only he Hyun could see this. If only he could see how much they cared.  _ “Everyone take the night off. Jisoo, Jaehyun, I trust you took care of the security guard?” He asked, face blank as he looked over to the pair. 

“Yes. He’s outside. Almost took my arm off on the way out… but he’s gone.” Jeahyun said, smiling slightly at the boy. Hyuk nodded before walking out.  He made a b-line to the bathroom, his heart slammed against his chest.  _ It almost killed Jaehyun on the way out. I should have thought of that. I almost got him killed…  _

He walked into a stall, fingers fumbling with the lock as he shut the door. He hadn’t realised how big the lump in his throat had gotten, how badly his hands were shaking and how overwhelming the need to breakdown was. He tried to shake it away, he shouldn’t cry. The leaders don’t cry. He was their leader, one of their protectors, he shouldn’t cry. A leader doesn’t break down in the bathroom pathetically. But the harsh thoughts weren’t enough to calm his heart. He felt his eyes fill with tears, his anxiety rise past his throat and he couldn’t help but feel like he was drowning. Still drowning in the sea of red that he told Byeongil to clean up because none of them could think for themselves. He was 18. Why did he have to do this? Why did he have to make the decisions? Why did the problems fall onto his shoulders? He could still feel the way JinOk slammed her fist against his chest as she cried and screamed, he could still hear her words echo inside his head. “ _ This is your fault! You killed her! You killed my daughter.”  _ He could still feel YikYung hit his stomach, EunYu’s harsh words, the feeling of Hyun’s hand going slack around his arm. He pushed his hand against his mouth as the tears spilt down his face, a desperate attempt to muffle his sobs. He hadn’t cried in so long. Not since the week after his parents died.  _ Funny. He cried in the bathroom then too.  _

His mind drifted as he fell to the floor, head resting against the stall wall as his tears spilt against his glasses and his hand shook against his mouth. He couldn’t help but wish he could rewind time for a moment, go back to the cafeteria where he sat with Hyun and the kids as they argued about Hyun’s hoodie. Or maybe before that, when Hyun lay against his chest. When he was threading his fingers through his hair, as the younger’s head rested against shoulder, words spilled from his lips instead of blood. He thought he would lose him. The only person here that was like him, and a part of him wished he kept his distance. Wished that they hadn’t become friends, so he wouldn’t be breaking down in the bathroom. 

He cried for a few more minutes, but he knew that he had to leave. They couldn’t know he was so weak, so he stood and brushed off his jeans. He cleaned off his glasses and rubbed his eyes before unlocking the door and walking out. He threw water against his face, checking in the mirror for signs of the events. Originally, he aimed to go to the camera room, bury himself in plans and forget. But he found his mind taking him to Hyun, and before he knew it he was sat next to the sleeping form. 

An hour later, DuSik appeared next to him with a tray of food. Hyuk looked at the food, stomach twisting at the thought of eating, he took it nonetheless, thanking the man before placing it on the floor. 

“You alright kiddo?” The younger kept his face blank, arms folding over his chest and staring forward. He nodded as adjusted his glasses. “Hm… it’s okay to not be yanno? I know you were worried about him.” 

Hyuks heart twisted at the man’s words. “He’s a valuable asset…”

“Don’t play emotionless leader with me, son. I know you care about him, no shame to it.”  _ Fuck.  _ He shrugged in reply, keeping his eyes forward. “Look at me.” The teen rolled his eyes as he turned his head to the man. His smile calmed him down more than he would ever admit. He knew it had the same effect on Hyun, the man’s kind eyes and warm smile made everything seem normal. Similar to a puppet being cut from its strings, Hyuk slumped forward, shoulders relaxing and head falling into his hands as he laughed bitterly. “Talk to me.”

“I- how did they even make it past 20?” DuSik’s hand was on his back, a small chuckle echoing through the room. “I have to tell them to do everything. I’m waiting for the day Sangwan asks me if he can go to the bathroom..” The hand stays still, a comforting presence and Hyuk isn’t surprised that Hyun and the two children had practically glued themselves to him. “Why can’t they just think for themselves?” He asks finally, all the anger and bitterness leaving him as the words fall from his lips. 

“But that’s not what’s bothering you though, is it?” The boy lets out a dry laugh, sitting up and adjusting his glasses. 

“Don’t push it.”

“Nope I’m pushing. Go on, tell me.”

He sighs, eyes glancing over Hyun’s too still form. They found him a new T-shirt, unsurprisingly just as baggy as the last one. Hyuk let’s his mind run, hoping the words make some semblance of sense. “He needs a new hoodie… he doesn’t like his scar on show. The others don’t know how to stop staring.” DuSik nodded in understanding, how he understood what Hyuk was saying was beyond him. “Asshole apologised. He apologised for bleeding on my flannel. He was dying, bleeding to death, and his biggest concern was my fucking shirt-“ he cuts himself off as the unwanted emotions come flooding back. 

They sit in silence, sitting beside the bed as they watch the boys chest rise and fall. Eventually, Hyuk fell asleep in the chair as DuSik’s hand stayed on his back.   
  


Ten minutes later Gilseob walks in to find the two teenagers sleeping, DuSik smiles at him before looking at the two. “Could you see if we have any spare shirts or hoodies?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D  
> Hope that wasn’t awful  
> I’m very bitter about the way most of the survivors treat Hyuk in the show, as you can tell  
> If you have any ideas for what you want see next, ie: jump past the whole healing or not let me know  
> Thanks for reading :)
> 
> Race<3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He snapped up, breath coming fast as his heart pounded in his chest. Sweat dripped from his temple as he dropped his head in his hands, the pain in his side going unnoticed while he panted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey :>  
> All I have to say is writing is unreasonably hard...  
> Anyways...  
> Warnings for intrusive thoughts (kinda?)  
> Enjoy <3

“ _ Very impressive. You managed to not get decapitated, congratulations.” _

_ “ _ Please shut the the fuck up.” Hyun snapped. He looked down at the city below as he sat on the roof of the apartment building, his feet swayed off the edge. The monster appeared next to him, mirroring his actions and sitting down. 

“ _ Do you regret it?”  _

_ “ _ Regret what?” He sighed. 

“ _ Saving yourself and not him.”  _ The teen whipped his head to the side, staring at the monster in confusion. “ _ You let him die so you could live. That’s not very protective of you.”  _

“What are you talking about?” His heart slammed against his chest, anxiety climbing up his throat. 

“ _ It’s going to take hours for them to clean the elevator…”  _

“What are you talking about?!” 

It giggled, “ _ see for yourself.”  _ His breathing picked up as images,  _ memories,  _ flashed across his vision. 

Flies buzzed.

The clang of metal against metal. 

The thud of an arm falling to the floor. 

The screams of the survivors.

Sword piercing flesh.

Elevator doors slamming closed.

Cutters spinning. 

“DO IT.”  
  
The sound of a bottle smashing.

The smell of burning flesh.

Elevator doors slamming closed.  


Again.   


And again. 

  
  


He snapped up, breath coming fast as his heart pounded in his chest. Sweat dripped from his temple as he dropped his head in his hands, the pain in his side going unnoticed while he panted. 

“Woah- what the f....” The sound of another voice made him flinch as he whipped his head up. Eunhyuk stared back at him, hands midair and eyes full of concern. “Hey. Easy… you with me?” 

Hyun swallowed, as he nodded. “Okay good… scared the shit out of me. Again.” 

“Sorry…” He mumbled, body relaxing and breath slowing as he accepted the water the other passed to him with a nod. 

“Nightmare?” Hyuk asked as he pulled a chair closer and sat down. Fragments of the dream flew through his mind,  _ Jeahyun.  _

“Where- is Jaehyun okay?” Confusion crossed the others features as he leaned forward. 

“Yes? Why wouldn’t he be?” 

“No he- the elevator…” 

“Hyun what are you talking about? He’s fine. I’ll go get him if you want…” Hyun nodded, his hand subconsciously reaching for his side. “I’ll be back in a minute.” 

Hyuk stood and left the room, he hurried to the daycare, the last thing he wanted to do was leave Hyun alone for too long. He walked in, hand holding the wall as he scanned the room. “Where’s Jaehyun?” The others shrugged in response, a sigh fell from his lips as he thought quickly.  _ Sangwook.  _ He jogged to the store to find the two men sat at the table, a bottle of Soju sitting between them. “Erm Jaehyun.. can I borrow you?” The man nodded with a smile as he stood and left with the younger. 

“Is something wrong?” He asked as they walked back to the infirmary.

“Hyun’s awake but… I don’t know, he thinks something happened to you. I’m not sure what, he had a nightmare and he’s probably just shaken up but still…” 

“Is he alright?” Hyuk shrugged, the two fell silent as they walked into the room. Hyun sat on the bed, leaning against the wall when he looked up. His eyes widened as he let out a relieved sigh. Jeahyun walked closer, smiling warmly when he sat on the bed. 

Hyun dropped his head, “ _ you’re so gullible.”  _ It giggled. 

_ “ _ Fucking bastard…” he murmured. “Sorry. Bad dream.” He lifted his head to meet Jeahyun’s eyes, subconsciously glancing at his arm. Eunhyuk stood behind him, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. 

“It’s okay. Do you want to talk about it?” The man asked gently, as if Hyun would break if he spoke too harshly. He shook his head,  _ absolutely not.  _ “Alright. How’s your side?” The younger’s brows creased confusion as he looked down, his hand was cradling his side and it was only then that he felt the stinging. He let out a grunt as the pain flooded back. “Ah. Not good then…”

“I forgot it was there.” The older let out a chuckle as Eunhyuk stepped closer. 

“I’ll get Yuri to check over it.” He said, fixing his glasses. 

“No it’s fine. It’ll heal…” 

“At least let me check it then.” The younger sighed; Jaehyun stood, patting Hyun on the knee warmly as he said his goodbyes. “Lay down.” He obliged, laying down gingerly, suddenly feeling self conscious as Hyun lifted the hem of his shirt. His torso was wrapped in bandages, parts of it stained red where his side was wounded. Hyun watched as the older lifted the bandages carefully, his eyes drifting to the round scar on his opposite hip before he dropped his head against the pillow. “I need to take the bandages off. This might sting.”  _ Trust me. I know.  _ He nodded, hissing as the material was pulled away. “Most of it’s healed around the stitches, so I can take them out.” 

They sat in silence as Hyuk removed the stitches gently, before he spoke up. “You’re an asshole, you know that?” Hyun’s eyes opened, eyebrows furrowing as he looked towards the older. He was still looking at his side, focusing on the stitch as he continued. “Apologising while you practically bled to death. Dick move. Very you-move. But dick move” The younger dropped his head back, trying to remember what happened. He remembered the security guard, the cutters and the feeling as they sliced through his side; but that was it. There were small fragments after, a gunshot and the screaming, the feeling of his head against someone’s shoulder. 

“I- sorry…?” Hyuk snorted, pausing and looking up. Their eyes met, and Hyun could detect the emotions he found there. It wasn’t long ago that he realised that all the emotions Hyuk held were in his eyes, they were easier to read now, however. He wondered distantly if it was because he knew the older better, or if the older was simply letting him in. Either way, the concern and worry he could see sparked guilt in his chest, but as he kept searching, the softness that lingered made his heart flutter. They held eye contact, before Hyun looked away nervously. 

“Don’t be, I’m just glad you’re not dead. You might be if you pull anything like that again though.” The younger smiled slightly as they fell into a comfortable silence. 

Once Hyuk had cleaned up he looked towards the other, noticing the way his eyes were closed and his breath came out in soft puffs. “Do you want to sleep or get food?” He already knew the answer, but he felt the need to ask nonetheless. 

“Sleep.” The other mumbled tiredly. 

“Yeah I thought so, but you need to eat.”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes. We can go to the daycare or I can bring you food. The others will want to see you though… the kids haven’t shut up about you.”

“How long was I out?” He asked, blinking his eyes open. 

“Two days.”

“Two days?!”

“Is there an echo? Yes. Two days. Two days of having to deal with two anxious children, one of them refusing to take off a certain person's hoodie.” Hyuk stood next to the bed, features relaxed as he watched the other smile slightly. “Do you want to go to the daycare then?” Hyun nodded, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He winced slightly before standing. Hyuk reached behind him, throwing him a hoodie and watching as Hyun’s eyes filled with relief. 

They walked to the daycare in silence, Hyun internally preparing himself to see the others. 

“Look who came back from the dead!” DuSik called out, alerting the others in the room. Soon enough, all eyes were on him and he lowered his head as he played with strings of his hoodie. 

“Anyone would think you were a celebrity…” hyuk mumbled, shoving a tray into his hand and shoving him towards a table. They sat down, ignoring the other’s stares as he looked at the food. “Eat what you can.” Hyuk said passively, apparently sensing Hyun’s discomfort. He picked up the spoon, and then Byeong-Il was being shoved off the roof and he was shutting his eyes tightly.

The monster hummed as the image dissipated,  _ “These are so much fun! Who should I do next? Hm? Eeny, meeny, miny…”  _ he pushed the voice away, choosing to focus on the food in front of him. 

“You alright?” Hyuk asked. 

“You ask that a lot, you know that right?” He deflected. 

“Not my fault you consistently look one gentle breeze away from collapsing.”

“And yet you send me upstairs anyway.” Hyun shot back, a smirk pulling at his lips at the others' amused expression. 

“It’s a test to see how close to dying you are.”

“Oh really? Hate to see what you do to the healthy ones…” 

“We feed them to the children.” They both chuckled, pausing as a set of two small footsteps edged closer to them. “See, if you weren’t about to drop dead they would be eating you.” Hyun snorted, pressing his hand to his mouth as he averted his eyes away from the older across from him. They heard a small encouragement from DuSik before both children came to stop next to them. 

“Can- can we eat with you?” YeongSu asked tentatively, hand fiddling with one of the dinosaur legs nervously. Hyun nodded, smiling slightly as their faces lit up and they rushed to go get their food. 

“Funny, I thought you would be their dinner…” Hyun says, turning to Hyuk. 

“Who says I’m healthy?”

“Oh really…”

“Yeah I have… the plague.” The children came running back, and the teens coughed violently as they attempted to control their laughter. Some of the survivors looked their way worriedly before averting their eyes. They both lowered their heads as they snickered silently. 

“Hyun Su…?” SuYeong sat next to him, looking at him nervously. He fought to keep the smile off his face as he turned his head. She was still wearing his hoodie, the sleeves were rolled up and one of the arms kept slipping off her shoulder. His heart warmed at the sight as he remembered what Hyuk had said. 

“Yes.” He replied. 

“Are- are you okay?” She asked, eyes flicking to his side every few seconds. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry if I worried you.” He smiled reassuringly, feeling Hyuk’s eyes on him. 

“But- there was so much blood…” YeongSu added, voice heavy with sadness. 

“Erm, yeah… I heal fast. I’m okay though…” he looked towards the boy next to Hyuk calmly, trying to ignore the guilt flaring in his chest. 

“All the adults were scared.” He said bluntly, his head was lowered, unaware of the surprise on Hyun’s face. The teen quickly looked to Hyuk for confirmation, he shrugged before nodding. He stared at Hyuk in disbelief,  _ they hate me, don’t they?  _

“Well…” he coughed, “I’m sorry if I scared you too.” They both nodded, and the table fell silent as they all ate. Hyun pushed his food around after a few bites, jumping as Hyuk kicked him to get his attention. He looked up and caught the others eyes, understanding what he meant immediately and nodding his thanks as he set his spoon down. 

  
  


“You can sleep in the corner if you want, or you can go back to the infirmary.” Hyuk spoke as they entered the camera room. Normally Hyun would decline and sleep alone, but the exhaustion weighed heavily against his bones so he hummed his thanks before walking towards the corner. He stopped abruptly at the table, hand reaching out to grip the surface as his eyes shut tightly.

“ _ Hey Hyunnie. I want to play with you…”  _ he gritted his teeth as looked over at Hyuk, thankful the other was facing the cameras. “ _ Ooo, you don’t want him to know? You told him about the pliers… oh well, that makes this ten times more fun. Don’t you think?”  _ Hyun tried to shake the monster away, stepping forward anxiously as he ignored the rising pain. 

  
Just like in the bathroom, he could feel old wounds appear, and the agony he felt deep in his bones was becoming hard to hide. He gripped the table tightly; the pain was building up like the bowls and plates in his apartment, building up slowly, but it eventually became overwhelming and he had to bite down on his hand to stop from crying out. It stopped suddenly, pain vanishing. Then the world around him faded away and he was in the middle of the warehouse again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love cliffhangers in case you can’t tell  
> Hope that was okay!  
> Thanks for reading :)  
> Comments and Kudos appreciated :D  
> Also my Twitter is @Race127   
> Race <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was like a glitch in a tv show, the way the world changed; he blinked and the world was covered in static until it wasn’t his world anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!  
> So this one is a little different, I wanted try something so it was definitely out of my comfort zone...  
> Warnings for blood, gore and bullying 
> 
> Enjoy <3

It was like a glitch in a tv show, the way the world changed; he blinked and the world was covered in static until it wasn’t his world anymore. Hyun knew it wasn’t real, despite how cold the breeze felt against his skin felt, despite the dampness of the warehouse seeping into his clothes, despite the prominent odor of cigarettes and petrichor; he knew it wasn’t real. He was still in the camera room, standing by the table; maybe Hyuk was looking at him or maybe he’d collapsed and this was a dream. It didn’t matter. This wasn’t real. 

He was alone, the notion should fill him with relief, but this was the monsters doing. He was alone for a reason. He kept quiet as he walked around, the squelch of the mud and the harsh gusts of winds sent shivers up his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck stood. The vulnerability creeped into his bones at the lack of his spear and headphones, the open plan of the bare warehouse sending his senses into overdrive. Then, as his ears fixed on the sounds around him, he could hear a soft whisper. The sound echoed against the metal walls lightly, bouncing past Hyun’s ears; but the whispers were coming from behind him. He turned his head slowly, eyes drifting to the side in hopes of preparing himself for whatever cheap jump scare he was going to see. Instead, his eyes landed on a man. He spun around, facing the tall figure and stepping back slightly. The man’s back was turned, his head bowed, and his trench coat was damp. Hyun scanned the figure, noting the mud that coated the sides of his shoes. He was whispering, his voice low but fast, the words were slurred together as if the man was praying. 

“Erm… hello?” He asked, the sound of his own voice reverberating around the space. The whispering stopped. Then the man’s head was raised and he was turning around, slowly. His body wasn’t moving, his feet firm on the ground as if he was spinning on a turntable. The man rotated gradually, his head falling back down as he did. Hyun’s heart froze in his chest as he tensed. Once the man was facing him, the whispering picked up again, the teen could see his lips moving. His long hair fell over his eyes, casting a shadow over his pale skin. The brown material of his coat was wet, parts stained red; his hands were similar, fingers emerging from the long sleeves coated in red, black and twisted like claws. Hyun’s mind happily reminded him of where he was,  _ this isn’t real.  _ His breaths became shallow as he stared at the man in front of him. Then, as if sensing his rising fear, the figure drifted towards him. Just like the way he turned, his feet didn’t move, the mud shifting around his shoes as he glided along the floor. 

Hyun snapped his eyes shut instantly,  _ if I can’t see him he can’t scare me. It’s my mind, I can control this, right? Yeah… All I need to do is focus. I’m still in the camera room, Hyuk’s there and the man isn’t. Okay, when I open my eyes I’ll be fine. It’s fine.  _ So, he kept his head down, gingerly opening his eyes. He was met with the tiles of the camera room floor, and he let out a relieved breath. He raised his head. 

  
He was waiting. 

As he raised his head, the man in the trench coat was there, face barely an inch away from Hyun’s. His entire body tensed, heart jackhammering in his chest as he stared at the blood stained face of the man in front of him. The corners of his mouth were black with blood as his lips parted. The teen was faced with three rows of sharp teeth, stained and dripping red. His eyes shifted down towards his neck, a long gash, open and bleeding sat on his throat, giving Hyun view to the veins and muscles underneath. It was only then that he realised that the man’s body was still a metre away, his neck twisted and stretched inhumanly long. Then, the man groaned before a bone chilling scream ripped from his throat. The sound bounced against the walls, echoing around the warehouse, seemingly getting louder every time. 

Hyun’s eyes remained fixed on the teeth until his gaze drifted up towards the man’s eyes. They weren’t there, black crevices sat in their place as if they had been burned out with a hot poker. Then, his hands raised, the black, claw like fingers pointed at him accusingly. Suddenly, the man shoved them into the holes where his eyes should be, all five fingers disappearing to the knuckle as the screeching continued. Hyun watched, his mouth shut tight as the paralysing fear sent his mind into overdrive. His breaths were abrupt as he breathed through his nose, his eyes wide, unable to look away from the fingers digging into the black cavities. 

The screaming stopped, echoing around the room for a few seconds before his lips twisted upwards into a wide grin. The grin was too wide, splitting his cheeks apart as it grew. His fingers were still inside his eyes, and if Hyun listened closely he could hear the sound of a fingernail scratching against skull. A laugh sprung from his throat, wild and manic, mouth open and teeth dripping as his face drifted down. He was melting. His body melted into a puddle at Hyun’s feet, but the laughing continued. His face was the last to go, before he disappeared into dark, wet mud on the ground.  _ I’m walking on melted people.  _

_ “Man. That was fun.”  _ The monster was back, but Hyun couldn’t move. His entire body trembled, eyes wide and breath shallow as the terror remained. It walked in front of him, standing where the man was,  _ is. He’s still there. He melted. “Hey lighten up, you should appreciate what I did for you. I made him disappear.”  _ He blinked slowly at the monster’s words. “ _ Fine. Let’s try this again.”  _

The warehouse faded to static, the world glitching and shifting. The soft mud under his shoes turned hard and wet, the rusted tin walls turned to white brick and the feeling of an enclosed space replaced the open plan of the warehouse. He blinked and everything shifted into place. He was in a bathroom stall, and suddenly the terror that set heavy in his bones dwindled away involuntarily. He sagged against the stall door, closing his eyes and breathing deep. 

He opened his eyes slowly, staring at the white bricks across from him when a wave of familiarity crashed over him and he looked down in a panic. His black hoodie was gone, replaced with a white shirt and grey undershirt; his uniform, he was wearing his uniform. His eyes widened, _ no. No, no I got away…  _ he heard the bathroom door open, slamming against the wall and several pairs of footsteps. His breathing quickened as he stepped away from the door and pressed his hand to his mouth.  _ Don’t find me. Please don’t find me.  _

“Hyun Su! We know you ran in here. Come out and we’ll go easy on you!” Kitea yelled, a hint of joy in his tone. Hyun kept quiet, his rationality abandoning his mind as he stepped back. He forgot about the monster, about Hyuk and the apartment as they yelled again. “Fine… but don’t say we didn’t warn you.” And the stall door was kicked open. Rough hands gripped onto his shirt as they pulled him out, throwing him onto the floor and filling the room with laughter.

He knew what happened next, he’d dreamt it since it happened. The crack of his ribs and the insults. The world became white noise as Kitea knelt over him, knees surrounding his lower half as he gripped Hyun’s shirt and slammed his fist against his eye. The viscous smiles and the pounding of his skull against the tile, the water covering the floor, the laughs; he’d felt them before, yet they hurt even more than he remembered. 

Soon enough, when he body was battered and broken, when the water had turned red, they stopped. DoHun stood above him, hands clean as they always were. “Your parents know this is happening to you, yet they do nothing? Don’t they care?” He laughed tauntingly. “Tell you what Hyun Su, I’ll make a deal with you…”  _ what? This isn’t how it went…  _ “I’ll stop beating you, we’ll go to your home instead, teach your family a lesson. How does that sound?” Hyun’s mind filled with anger, replacing the agonising pain he felt deep in his veins as he grunted and pushed himself up. The boys reacted quickly, but he was faster, roughly shoving one against the wall and elbowing the other before gripping onto DoHun’s shirt and slamming him against the wall, raising his fist high. 

“Touch them and I’ll kill you!” The boy laughed, but slowly, his tone shifted. His smile, usually condescending, morphed and widened. It grew wild, spreading across his face and the laughing grew manic. Similar to the man before, the smile split his cheeks. Then Hyun blinked, and his fingers were digging inside his eyes and his teeth were dripping blood. 

He stared at the scene before him, pain forgotten until he felt something cool around one of the fingers that was raised. 

_ Snap. Snap. Snap.  _

The world shifted around Hyun’s screams, flashing black and white until he was alone. The pain remained, agonising and present every time he breathed. He was back in the dark room where the reflections of water covered the wall behind him. He stood, hands frozen in the air, gripping onto nothing until he let out a sob and collapsed to the floor. Laughter echoed around the room as Hyun pressed his hands to his ears and shut his eyes.

He was on his knees, begging for it to stop as he cried, the picture of pathetic as his clothes dripped against the floor. “Please. Please stop. I’m sorry… just make it stop.” 

The laughter faded to a chuckle as a hand landed in his hair and a voice rang through his mind. “ _ Not yet. One last try…”  _ and then the images flashed in his mind. Hyuk getting ripped apart. EunYu screamed as her body was set ablaze. ByeongIl pushed from the roof. DuSik stabbed to death. His family’s car crash. Jisoo impaled. 

“-Un… -y… -ay…” there was a voice. It reverberated around the room, it wasn’t like the monsters. It felt real and he gripped onto it desperately as he the images of his friend’s blood smeared the walls. “-ats it… -me on…” He held onto the voice hopelessly, aware that it was probably some sick hallucination. 

Then there were hands on his face and the voice became louder, more urgent, more hopeful. The atmosphere changed, the lingering smell of petrichor that followed him dissipated, replaced  _ that  _ cheap soap and he couldn’t hold back the whimper that fell from his lips. 

He opened his eyes slowly, keeping his head down as he stared at the tile of the camera room floor. Hope sparked in his chest before he remembered the man with no eyes and sob emerged from his throat. He didn’t want to look up, he didn’t want to see the man again. He imagined the man bending down and staring at him if he didn’t raise his head, successfully scaring himself into holding his breath and looking up. He sobbed again, as his eyes met his. 

Hyuk stood in front of him, concern and relief coating his features. His lips were moving, but Hyun couldn’t make out the words as his eyes filled with tears. Then, his legs fell from under him as his knees gave way, the last thing he was conscious of was the way one of the hands rubbed soothing circles into his cheeks before his eyes rolled back and his knees hit the floor. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone take this boy away from me...  
> Whelp hope that wasn’t terrible, like I said I wanted to try something a little different and I’m not sure if it worked or not but hey ho  
> Thanks for reading :D
> 
> Race<3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minutes passed by, Hyun’s broken sobs dissipating into the icy air until the darkness started whispering back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> Whelp.. I wasn’t going to post this until tomorrow but I got bored so here we are :)  
> Warnings for panic attacks and mentions of suicide 
> 
> Enjoy <3

The darkness that surrounded him was anything but comforting. The second his knees hit the floor everything faded to black and he was alone again, covered in darkness and crumbling under the agony that weighed against his whole frame. Hyuk had disappeared too, the smell of soap and his warm hands fading away like everything else, leaving Hyun to let the tears fall from his eyes as he weeped alone in the dark.  _ It’s not fair. Why am I always alone?  _

Minutes passed by, Hyun’s broken sobs dissipating into the icy air until the darkness started whispering back.  _ Maybe it’s Hyuk…  _ hope sparked bright in his heart, longing for the isolation to end as he listened to the words. 

_ “He looks fucking pathetic…”  _

And just like that the hope was gone, every shred of light vanishing from his chest as he finally crumbled. He cried. He cried, not for the first time, alone in the darkness while his hands twitched for someone to hold onto and his heart broke when his fingers closed around air. 

He gasped when he felt something touch his shoulder, his tortured mind sensing the feeling as pain and then the words were falling from his lips. “Please… please I’m sorry. I’ll do anything, just make it stop.”

Then the words around him dulled, quieting as a soft sound drifted over them. Someone was humming. It was low, hesitant, but it was there and Hyun grasped onto it with a heavy heart as he begged for it to be real. 

The sensations crashed over him like a wave; the tiled floor under his knees, the warm air, the hands on his shoulders, the humming,  _ that  _ smell.

Hyun snapped his eyes open, and the eyes that stared back at him weren’t black, they weren’t empty. They were swimming in so many emotions behind round glasses and Hyun let the half sob rip from his throat as he gasped. 

“Hyuk…” The hands on his shoulders squeezed; the sensation sending shockwaves to his heart as he whimpered. 

“I’m here.” The small words set off a tidal wave in Hyun’s mind, wetting his cheeks and shaking his curled up frame. “Hey, hey, don’t cry. It’s okay, I’m here. You’re not alone.” The younger dived into the older’s chest, latching onto the back of his shirt as he wept. Hyuk recovered immediately, gripping onto Hyun tightly in return and holding him as close to his chest as possible as he whispered soothing words into the others ear. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, please… make it stop Hyuk. Please make him stop.” Hyun felt the others chest vibrate as he shushed him gently, the arms around his frame tightening and pulling him closer. 

  
Hyun remained glued to Hyuk even after he ran out of tears to shed, refusing to let go of the death grip he had on the older’s shirt. Hyuk didn’t seem to mind, maneuvering both of them until Hyun’s legs were wrapped around the older’s waist as he sat in his lap. 

“Hey, you with me?” His voice was uncharacteristically soft, sending waves of guilt through the younger as he nodded meekly. “This is the third time you’ve given me a heart attack… you trying to kill me?” He snorted quietly, his small apology muffled by the older’s shirt. “How you feeling?” His only response was a halfhearted shrug. “Alright give me a number, 1 to 10.” 

Hyun thought for a moment, he’d been better, “Four.” Hyuk nodded approvingly. 

“Better than one I guess.”

They sat in silence for a while, Hyuk’s fingers resuming their position in the other’s hair and Hyun burying his face in the older’s chest to listen to his heart beat. 

  
  


Eventually as Hyuk’s legs grew numb, he leaned down to tilt Hyun’s head up in an attempt to read his eyes. They were clearer now, void of the pure terror and abandonment that occupied his features; replaced with a barely-there smile and calmness. “We need to talk, but not here.” He thought for a moment, letting the younger bury his face back in his chest. “Alright I’ve got an idea, can you stand?” He reluctantly pulled away, standing on shaking legs as he used the table for support before sitting on the surface. “I’ll be back in a second.” With that he jogged to the store,thanking every God in existence that the hallways were empty. 

Sangwook sat behind the counter, flicking through money with a toothpick between his lips. He looked up as Hyuk walked in, paying no mind to the wet stains on his shirt or the red around his eyes. 

“Can I ask you a favour?” Hyuk asked, walking up to the counter with his hands in his pockets. The older hummed, looking back down at the money in his hand. “Can you watch the cameras for me?”

“Huh? Why can’t you?” He groaned as he leant back on the stool. 

“I need to do something.” 

“Like what?”

“It doesn’t concern you.”

“Well it does if I have to play security guard.” 

Hyuk sighed, adjusting his glasses and folding his arms. “I need to talk to Hyun Su, and I can’t do that if someone comes to find me every time they drop a cup.” 

“Fine whatever. What am I supposed to tell the others?”

“If they ask, say we went to fix something.” Sangwook locked the store, Hyuk leading the way as they headed back to the camera room. 

Much like Hyuk’s shirt, Sangwook ignored Hyun’s tear stained cheeks and shaking hands; deciding to give the kid a small nod when he walked past, before collapsing in front of the cameras with a huff. Hyuk grabbed a bottle of water and Hyun’s spear, throwing it at him and walking out. 

Soon enough the pair stood in the elevator, Hyun sending bewildered glances towards Hyuk as they headed to the roof. 

“Quiet looking at me like that.” The other eventually muttered, pushing his glasses up. 

“You’re always up our asses about not wasting power, and we’re taking the elevator to talk on the roof...” Hyun said incredulously. The older simply sighed, ignoring the younger’s words as they rode the elevator in silence. Once it came to a stop, they climbed the remaining stairs before Hyun kicked the gate open. 

The air was cool as they stepped out, fresh and clean in the night as the pair tried to remember the last time they’d been outside. They both sat on the edge of the building, legs hanging down as they stared at the sky. It was night time, the dark sky illuminated by bright stars that shone with the moonlight. The lack of lights in the city made them brighter, a reward for the horror below.

“Alright. We can’t spend all night up here…” Hyuk spoke first, his voice soft as he gazed at the sky. For the first time, his shoulders were relaxed, finally appearing as though they didn’t carry the weight of the world. Hyun tore his eyes away from the sight, smiling slightly as he lowered his head. 

“Yeah…” he looked back up, marvelling at the gleams of silver. 

“So, talk to me. Tell me what the fuck happened, why you were like that…” 

“What did it look like to you? I mean, what did you see?” 

“Well I was looking at the cameras after you said you’d sleep in the corner. Then you just stopped, I turned around and you were just stood there. Frozen. You wouldn’t answer me but your eyes were open. Fuck you were gripping the table so hard I thought it would snap. It felt like hours, trying to get you to answer me, but you just got more scared… then you finally looked at me, and you collapsed. Not cool by the way…” He sighed, rolling his neck and looking down momentarily. “Then you started crying… and you woke up.” It was Hyun's turn to sigh, opening his mouth to apologise before a voice interrupted. “You apologise and I swear to god I’ll push you off.”  _ Rude.  _ “Thank you. Now talk to me.” 

He didn’t know what to say, his mind turning blank at every explanation he could give, so he opened his mouth and let the words fall, staring at the stars as he spoke. “You remember the other day? When I told you about the pliers and shit…” a small nod. “He likes to play other games too. Dunno why, surely if he put all the effort into making that shit up he could easily just take over me.” He laughed bitterly, the wind swallowing the sound and carrying it away. “You guys always ask me how I haven’t turned yet, how I’ve resisted. And the answer is I don’t know. I mean it’s not like my will to live is better than anyone else’s, fuck two weeks ago I was stood over there on the edge; almost jumped off until your sister showed up.” 

It was Hyuk’s turn to laugh, “yeah, sounds like her.”

“But the thing is, I don’t know how to give it what it wants. It wants my desire, that’s how they take control of you. It wants to become my deepest desire, but I have no fucking clue what that is. The only thing I’ve ever desired is to die, so unless I’m just lucky and me turning kills me instantly, I doubt that’s it.” He swallowed, unsure if the words were even intelligible. “He’s silent some days, completely silent. And then there’s days… days like today where he isn’t. He knows everything about me, every little detail; he knows everything, and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t use it. Some of the things, I’m not sure if they were just fears I never knew I had or if he came up with them. But they’re fucking terrifying.”

“What do you mean?” Hyuk asked when he felt Hyun become distant, urging him on. 

“Just because he can’t control my body doesn’t mean he can’t control everything else. I told you he can make me feel things that aren’t there. Like the pliers. But he can al-'' He sighed deeply, eyes fixed on the brightest star. “Hallucinations. Nightmares. Random images. Voices. You name it, he can do it. I’ll blink and suddenly I’m seeing you being ripped apart, or Jisoo getting stabbed. Or I’ll be talking or fighting and suddenly he’s inside my head blabbing on like 4th grade bully. Or, like today; I’ll be walking and then everything hurts and I can’t move. He’ll make everything change, make it fade away like one massive hallucination. It's like being trapped inside a nightmare, I can’t do anything, I can’t leave until he lets me. Sometimes it’s hours before he lets me out…”

“It was two hours. Today, you were stood like that for nearly two hours.” The older states, voice heavy with what sounds like anger.  _ Huh…  _

“Yeah well, it was a long time.”

“What did you see? I mean it must have been bad... so you don’t have to tell me.” 

The images came to his mind as he scrubbed a hand down his face, exhaling slowly as he looked at the city landscape; noting all the fires and smoke he could make out before he spoke. “A man… he was covered in blood, his neck was all fucked up and his eyes- black cavities that he would stick his fingers into as he screamed in my face. Or laughed. Guess it depended on the monster’s mood. And then… an altered memory and then pain.” 

“A memory?”

“Yeah. Long story.”  _ He can’t know.  _

“Is he silent now?”

“Yep, asshole weared himself out.” They drifted back into silence as they drank the water Hyuk had brought up. 

“How do you make him stop? How can I help?” Hyuk sounded genuine, his voice gentle as he turned his eyes to him for the first time. There were too many emotions to place, anger and worry among them. His heart pulled at the statement, feeling his shoulders slump as he filled with relief. The anxiety of the talk disappeared, his fear of Hyuk either laughing it off or calling him pathetic was carried away. 

“I- I just wait for him to shut up. Best thing to do, if I react then…”

“You’re playing right into what he wants.”

“Pretty much.”

“Then what can I do?”

“You… you’re doing enough already. I don’t want to burden you. You already have 15 weirdly dependent adults on your case, you don’t need some whiny kid with a severe case of intrusive thoughts to add to the list.” 

Hyuk snorted, the sound bitter. “there’s a difference between them and you.”

“How is there?”

“You say thank you. You don’t punch me for making a decision you don’t like.”

“I’ve thought about it.”

“I don’t blame you, but you’re not like them. I want to help you. You’re not a burden and you’re not whiny.” His voice was stern, but his eyes were gentle as he looked back at the sky. 

“I don’t know if you can help. What you’re doing now is enough. But…” 

“But?”

“He’s not as loud when you’re there. Except earlier obviously, he probably got restless from the two days I was out.”

“Stick with me then. You don’t sleep with others anyway, so they’re not gonna care if you sleep in the camera room.”   


They talked more, both teens relaxing as they let the wind carry their voices away. Begrudgingly, the pair stood, heading to the elevator with small smiles on their faces. 

It was late when they returned to the first floor, the rest of the survivors sleeping in the daycare, their snores echoing softly around the hallways. 

Sangwook jumped to his feet the second the two teens walked through the door, smiling internally at how relaxed they both seemed as he stalked up to them. “I am never. Never. Watching those things again. I burst every blood vessel in my eyes staring at a bunch of corridors.” Hyuk snorted, dodging past the man’s accusing finger, thanking him quietly as he walked out. 

“You. Sleep.” Hyuk turned, pointing between Hyun and the mattress sternly,  _ when did that get there?  _

_ “ _ Aish you’re so bossy…” 

“You need to sleep.”

“So do you.”

“There’s only one mattress.”

“Oh, yeah...” The conversation turned awkward as Hyun laid down gingerly. 

“Just… try and get some sleep. You need it.” The older spoke again, his tone soft as he placed a bottle next to Hyun’s head. He nodded, pulling the thick blanket over his cold frame and settling back against the mattress. He’d planned to stay awake to make sure Hyuk slept too, but the second he closed his eyes the exhaustion of the day caught up to him and he drifted off. 

  
  
  
  


“The water restrictions are there for a reason. Stop having extra showers.” They sat in the daycare, Hyuk stood at the front with a blank expression and crossed arms. Hyun sat in the corner after being dragged by the two children, watching the older’s expression to catch the slight shifts in his eyes. The others groaned around him, “I know, but we need to save water for as long as possible.”

“Or you can stop being a tight ass and let us have showers.” EunYu muttered, Hyuk’s eyes glinting with pure annoyance. 

He ignored her, moving on to the next topic. “And stop eating extra rations, you’re just making it more difficult for us in the future.” Hyun had to bite back a sigh as the group groaned once again, DuSik placed a hand on his shoulder, sensing the younger’s frustration.  _ How does he do this with a straight face?  _

“Wh- why don't we get Hyun’s rations..? I- I mean he doesn’t even eat…” Seungwan stuttered out, curling into himself as Hyun did the same. Some of the others agreed, voicing their opinions as the hand on his shoulder tightened. 

“Great idea! We’ll starve the strongest person here!” EunYu spat, her tone dripping venom as Jisoo snorted behind her. 

“We’re not taking his rations. End of.” Hyuk declared, anger tinting his tone and shoulders tight. 

“It’s not like he eats… I mean you would be okay with us eating what you don’t? Right Hyun Su?” Seungwan added, looking at him anxiously. The younger stiffened as he looked towards Hyuk for help.  _ I should have stayed in the arcade.  _

“That’s enough. Don’t be selfish.” It was GilSeob’s turn to butt in, staring the man down as he stood in front of Hyun. The kids shuffled closer, watching him with wide eyes. 

“That's the end of the meeting. You can go.” The teens tone was strict, but Hyun could sense the barely hidden anger there. 

  
  


The teens sat at the table looked over food plans, Hyuk’s shoulders were still tight, void of the relaxation from the previous night. The room was near silent, the sound of shuffling papers and the flicks Hyuk’s rubix cube filling the air. It was oddly comforting, Hyun thought as he checked through the rations list. The silence was interrupted as the door slammed open, an angry YikYung storming in and slamming the door behind her. 

“You have to ease these restrictions. They’re ridiculous.” Hyuk tensed minutely, pulling off his glasses to rub at his eyes and placing the toy on the chair next to him. 

“I’m guessing you drew the short straw…” he stated, expression bored and eyes on the paper in front of him. 

“You don’t understand. We need the food, we’re not eating enough. The other’s think we’ll starve.”

“No. No we won’t. Not yet. But if everyone keeps eating three days worth of rations in one day, we will. The restrictions are there to keep us alive. Not because I’m trying to torture you all.” Hyun kept silent, watching the conversation unfold, hoping distantly that for once he wouldn’t get dragged into it. 

“Whatever.” She turned to Hyun expectantly, eyeing him up and down. “Aren’t you supposed to be going upstairs?”  _ Fuck me.  _ He looked down, unsure of what to say.

“He’s still recovering.” The other stated, not looking up. 

“It’s been three days. I’m sure you’re fine. We have a list, can you go today?” He sighed internally, going upstairs meant letting the infection take control; he really didn’t want to face the monster right now. 

“I need him here.” 

“I’m sorry, am I speaking to you? Hyun can you go today?”

“I-“ he looked back down, anxiety brimming as he thought of what to say. 

“Yes or no?”

“Ho… how long is the list..? He muttered. 

“Pretty much everyone wants something… but it’s only one item per person. So it’s pretty short.”  _ If I have to go to every room, it’s not short.  _

“He’s not going.”

“I- I’ll think about it…” She smiled, pulling the crumpled paper from her pocket and throwing onto the desk and walking back out. 

“You’re not going.” 

“I have to…”

“No. You don’t.” Hyuks tone was bitter,  _ is he mad at me? _

_ “ _ I need to go.” He muttered, playing with the arms of his hoodie. 

“No what you need to do is stop letting them walk all over you.”

“What? Like you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” They stared at each other, atmosphere tense as Hyun swallowed the rising anxiety. 

“You let them treat you like shit. You know what they say about you, but you don’t say anything.”

“You’re lecturing me about speaking up? Half of them talked about taking your food and eating it themselves and you did nothing.”

“That’s different…” Hyuk stood, pushing the chair back and crossing his arms 

“How is it? You let them treat you shit too. How is that different?”

“Because I deserve it!” Hyun exclaimed, standing too and waking up to Hyuk. “I’m a monster, that’s it. And like they said, I don’t eat anyway.”

“Hyun I swear to fucking god we’ve talked about this…”

“That’s different to you just letting them literally punch you every time you tell them no.”

“No it’s not. I knew what I was getting into when I took control.”

“And I knew what I was getting into when I closed the arcade door. It doesn’t make it any better.” They both stood, staring each other down. 

“I don’t want you going upstairs today.” Hyuk said finally. 

“I know. But it’s my job. Why are you so worked up about this?”

“Because you’re still injured and if you go up there we could lose our strongest player.”

“Bullshit. That’s not the reason and you know it.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Just tell me why and I’ll drop it.”

“Because I had to watch you almost bleed to death… you were there and you were barely fucking breathing because you were protecting us. How many times has that happened up there? How many times have you been hit so hard you couldn’t get up?” The anger abandoned his eyes, guilt washing over it. 

“That- that doesn’t matter.”

“This is exactly what I mean. And we’re not even mentioning the monster.”

“What?”

“I know you’re scared of him, that much is clear. And I know that when you go up there you’re alone with him while he controls your body. After yesterday you can’t honestly be ready for him to take control again.”  _ I’m really not.  _

“I- I can deal with it. As long as you’re here when I get back.” And the conversation ended, with both boys staring into eyes full of worry. Hyuk took the list from the table, leaning close to Hyun as he reached over.

He read through, before speaking. “I’ll let you go under one condition. You go to my room.” He took a pen from the table, writing his room number and a few items on the list before handing it to Hyun. His room was on the same floor as two other peoples, making it easier for him.  _ Of course he thinks about me while making demands.  _ He nodded, pulling his headphones from his pocket and plugging them into his phone. He walked around the room, collecting his bag and spear in silence. Just as he was about to leave, he felt the older grab his wrist. “If anything happens, leave the supplies. You matter more.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I split this chapter in two but then I realised how short it was so...  
> I’m planning on adding more characters soon because this fic has completely run away from what I originally planned (I planned for it be 5 chapters long so like...)  
> If you have anything you want to see in the future let me know :)  
> Thanks for reading :D
> 
> Race <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The monster was still banging above him, screeching wildly, and if Hyun listened close enough he could hear the woman begging for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!   
> So I know this one is a little late...sorry about that  
> Anyways I hope you enjoy it :)  
> Warnings for self harm and mentions of panic attacks 
> 
> Enjoy <3

_ Now is not the time,  _ he ducked, running into a room and slamming the door,  _ now is not the time to have a panic attack _ . In all fairness, he couldn’t help it, DoHun and Kitae’s voices were back in his head and he was being chased by whatever the fuck was outside. It bashed against the door manicly, screeching painfully. 

Hyun was sure there wasn’t anyone left in the building, he’d checked every floor more times than he could count, yet there was a monster he’d never seen shoving at the door as he desperately held it closed. It was a woman, it used to be at least, her back had sprouted tentacles that would walk on the floor as she laid on top of them like an octopus. They were strong too, if the way it had ripped off one of the doors and tore it in half was anything to go bye. 

His feet skidded against the floor as he grunted. He was trapped. The only way out was the door that he was desperately trying to keep shut and he knew the monster wasn’t going to stop until his blood coated the walls. His own monster had faded after the first encounter with the octopus. That was an hour and three floors ago, he still hasn't gotten free. Distantly, Hyuk’s words rang through his head alongside DoHun’s,  _ “If anything happens, leave the supplies. You matter more.”  _ But he couldn’t leave. The door was opening more and more by the second, soon enough one of its tentacles would get through the crack and he would be dead in an instant. He looked around the apartment urgently, scouting out anything and everything he could use. But it was no use, anything that was useful was too far away. There was a window. He was on the thirteenth floor, and he was well aware of what happened to the last guy that tried climbing down the building through the window. But what other choice did he have? His arms were aching and his feet were sliding further and further and the screeching was getting louder and the monster was getting more aggressive. 

His mind worked quickly, thinking up a plan and calculating the distance. Hyun picked up one of the Angel statues that sat on a shelf next to him, it was coated in dust: he shifted before hurling it at the window across from him. The sound of glass smashing echoed against the walls, succeeding in angering the monster further. Suddenly, the pressure stopped and the door ceased movement, the sound of tentacles flapping against the floor sent shivers down Hyun’s spine.  _ Is it leaving?  _ For a second, the feeling of his heartbeat slamming against his ribs took over his senses, then the tentacles slapped against the floor harder. 

The sound became faster as Hyun tensed, then the monster screeched. Dozens of tentacles beat against the floor before the monster bulldozed the door. Hyun jumped out of the way milliseconds before the wood came crashing down. He ran. He ran towards the window and jumped. 

Seconds later he was gripping onto a railing critically with one hand. His other arm swinging by his side, spear in a white knuckle grip as he looked down. He was holding onto the railing of a twelfth story window, shards of glass fell down past him as the monster slammed against the broken window above him. His arm tensed as he pulled his other arm up, swinging the spear as far as he could before smashing the glass. He turned his head quickly in an attempt to avoid the shards that shattered around him. Unaware of the stingy in his face and arm, he pulled himself up with a groan as he threw his spear through the window and into the apartment. The backpack was too heavy, the incredibly unnecessary items adding to the weight that was pulling him down. He couldn’t drop it though. He knew what the others reactions would be if he turned up empty handed. They already thought he wasn’t worthy of food, and that was after getting them everything they asked. They’d kill him on the spot if he returned without Hye-ins lipstick. 

So he sucked it up and, spurred on by the monster’s screams, he hauled himself up and landed on the floor with a thud. Hyun rolled onto his back, the items in his bag digging into his spine as he inhaled. Shutting his eyes, he grabbed the list from his pant pocket with a groan. There was one room left, and it seemed that luck was on his side as he read the number. 1216. It was Hyuk’s room, and a part of him wanted to just go downstairs to spite him and see his reaction.  _ “How selfish of you”  _ and the voice was back, loud as ever and taking DoHun’s form. 

The monster was still banging above him, screeching wildly, and if Hyun listened close enough he could hear the woman begging for help. He stood up, body protesting as his bruises throbbed while he walked to the door. If the monster was going to get in it would be through the window, so he shut the door and placed a pipe through the handle.

He punched in the room code as he sighed,  _ thank god it’s the last room.  _ The first thing he noticed when he entered was the lack of dirt, a stark contrast to all the rooms he’d been in before. Neither of the Lee siblings had asked for anything, EunYu had collected the things she needed and a couple of things for Hyuk the last time she was up, so this was his first time in the apartment. He knew a lot about the survivors based on their rooms, each room reflected a small portion of their personalities. He knew that YikYung liked photography and that GilSeob likes to write about his day in his diary. It would always lead him to think about what his room would say about him, the only things occupying it were dirty dishes and his pc… he pushed the thoughts from his mind and looked at Hyuk’s writing. 

_ Black hoodie- bottom drawer. Sleepless- fourth shelf, purple cover. Brown pill bottle- bedside table.  _

“Easy enough..” he mumbled as he walked past what he assumed was EunYu’s room and into Hyuk’s. It was messier than he imagined; biology textbooks littered the desk and surrounding floor, yellow and pink post-it notes covered the walls and there was a pile of laundry on his bed that looked like it had been moved from his chair. He smiled to himself slightly, heading over to the bookshelf and grabbing the book. He grabbed the pill bottle and hoodie, shoving them into his bag carefully and leaving. 

Just as he got to the apartment door, his eyes caught a photo on the wall. Two parents, a girl and a boy; EunYu and EunHyuk. They looked so young, and Hyun couldn’t help but feel a spike as he thought of his own family. He didn’t have any physical photos of them, he’d been so angry after they’d died that he left them at the house. He never really regretted it, the boy in those pictures wasn’t him. It felt like he was looking at a different family whenever he saw their old photos, the smiling boy in the back was a stranger.

He shook his head of the thoughts, tearing his eyes away from the photo and opening the door. He closed it, leaning against it as his hand drifted to the knife in his pocket. It was pathetic, the way he welcomed the pain in his wrist over the grief and voices in his head. He was weak, that much he knew, as he sighed and pulled the knife out. He stared at the silver casing numbly before he pushed the blade up and pressed it to his wrist. “ _ You’re so pathetic. You think doing this makes you strong? No. You’re just weak. No one would care if they found out, they’d just tell you to cut deeper.”  _

  
  


He groaned as he pushed the buzzer, body aching as he threaded a hand through his hair.  _ I need to take a shower.  _ “Did you take a nap or something up there?” EunYu taunted as she opened the door. 

“Ha ha,” she followed him to the camera room, smirking at him from his side. “My god what?”

“Nothing…” she sang happily. “You worried my brother by the way.” He rolled his eyes, entering the camera room and placing the bags on the table. “I’ll leave you two assholes to it.” 

“She’s been like that since you left, someone must have spiked her water.” Hyuk spoke, startling Hyun in the process. “How’d it go?” Hyun shrugged, pulling the items from the bag and setting them down. The older was staring at him, eyes full of worry when Hyun caught his gaze.

“My side’s fine before you ask.”

“Then why were you limping?” The older’s asked accusingly. 

“Alright detective put the notepad away…” Hyuk rolled his eyes, slapping the back of his head lightly. “There’s a new monster… not a fun one.” 

“Shit... How did it get up there?”

“No clue. But it’s worse than some of the other ones…” 

“We’ll talk about it in a minute, we need to record it. I’ll go tell the others that their stuff is here. You take a shower.”  _ Is it that bad?  _ Hyuk reached past him, grabbing the hoodie from the table and passing it to him before turning around. 

“Erm… isn’t this yours?” Hyun asked, confusion lacing his voice. 

“Yep. Now it’s yours.” 

“Wha- you made me get a hoodie, for me?”

“You liked the flannel, and you’re obsessed with hoodies. So either take it or leave it.” The other hadn’t turned around, eyes facing the camera and fingers pushing his glasses up. Hyun shrugged, taking the hoodie and heading to the showers.

He heard the telltale sound of voices in the camera room as he undressed slowly, gingerly pulling off his shirt as his ribs protested. The monster was definitely strong, the ghost of the tentacle wrapping around his ankle sending shivers up his spine. The warm water felt good against his icy skin, temporarily ridding of the cold that sat heaving in his bones. He washed quickly, not liking the vulnerability despite the hot water. Once he was dry he pulled on Hyuk’s hoodie and smiled to himself as the sleeves fell past his fingers. He continued getting changed, leaving his hair damp as he shut the shower door. 

The table was clear once again by the time Hyun returned and sat down. Hyuk sat across from him, paper, pens and water in his hand. He passed Hyun the bottle as he stared at him with a blank expression. 

“Stop looking at me like I’m about to die.” Hyuk snorted, writing on the paper. 

“You’re gonna get sick if you don’t dry your hair.” 

“The last thing on my mind right now is a cold.” 

“Wait, wait, since when has your hair been curly?” The older’s asked suddenly, staring at his wet hair with a stunned expression. 

“Erm… since forever…” Hyun spoke slowly, holding back a laugh as Hyuk squinted at him. “What? You think I went in there and curled my hair?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you… I swear it’s always been straight…”

“Nope, it was just long and dirty.” He chuckled past the bottle at his lips. Hyuk shook his head, expression shifting. 

“Enough about your hair…”

“You brought it up…” Hyun mumbled, earning a half attempted glare. 

“Anyways… the new monster. Explain it to me.” 

“Octopus.” Hyun deadpanned, staring Hyuk in the eyes. 

“I- octopus?”

“Tentacles but there’s a woman piggybacking it.”

“You’re so weird…” The pair laughed, covering their mouths as they looked down. They recovered slowly, smiling at each other before continuing. “Okay, okay, explain it to me seriously.”

“Buzzkill..” They talked for a while, discussing the monster’s abilities and dangers. Hyun couldn’t help the warmth that pooled in his chest as they talked, it was similar to the night before. It had been so long since he’d talked to someone, someone who’s main intention wasn’t to destroy him piece by piece. He played with his hoodie strings as they spoke while Hyuk played with his rubix cube. 

“Alright so you go up tomorrow and check the lower floors… I don’t like that plan.” Hyuk spoke blandly, face blank and eyes filled with caution. 

“It’ll be fine, stop worrying.”

“I’d feel better if we sent Sangwook or Jisoo with you…”

“Well I wouldn’t. We’re not putting them at risk.” Hyun's voice was sharp, eyes determined as he stared at Hyuk. 

_ I don’t want you to be at risk either. “ _ Alright. One condition.”

“Ugh what now?” The younger groaned, folding his arms on the table and resting his forehead on them. 

“You eat this.” He heard the sound of something hitting the table and groaned louder, sitting up and eyeing the food blankly. “Okay, no. We’re talking about this. Why aren’t you eating?” The atmosphere shifted, the older’s tone serious as he tried to hold the younger’s gaze. Hyun sighed, running his hand down his face before picking up the cereal bar. 

“Don’t waste your food on me.” He said, voice empty and head down. 

“Hyun...Throwing out half eaten food because someone dropped it, that’s a waste. You eating it, is not.” His voice was stern, eyes boring holes into the younger’s now dry hair. 

“I don’t need food like they do…”

“Why?”

“Can… can we just drop it for now? Please?” 

“Only if you eat it first. Deal?” Hyun nodded, eyes glued to the table as he ate the bar. “Go get some sleep, you need to heal.” 

  
  


“Remember, only check up to the fourth floor.” Hyuk’s tone left no room for argument as they walked to the stairs, a calm atmosphere surrounding them. Hyun smiled slightly as the kids walked up to them. 

“Hi Hyun Su..” YeongSu smiled sleepily, holding his dinosaur to his chest. 

“Hey, everything okay?” He spoke in a soft tone, crouching down. 

“Why are you going back up?” SuYeong asked, anxiously fiddling with one of the sleeves of the grey hoodie. 

“I have to check something. I’ll be back soon.”

EunHyuk watched the exchange with a small smile, nodding to Gilseob who stood behind them. 

“Be careful.” Hyuk said, hands in his pocket as Hyun climbed the stairs and disappeared behind the door. 

  
  
  


The first floor was silent as always as HyunSu walked through the hallways with his spear raised. All the doors and windows were sealed to stop anything from outside entering, dried blood was smeared on the floor at the elevator doors. He sighed, checking every crevice just in case. 

The second floor was the same, doors and windows sealed after being emptied for everything they could use. His headphones stayed eerily silent as he closed the door behind him and headed to the third floor. 

He’d just turned the corner when he heard a faint ringing in his ears, on instinct he opened the nearest room to hide. Shutting the door quietly and leaning against it, he lifted his spear up and pressed his ear to the cold wood. Hyun listened closely, focusing on every sound, from the tree branches scratching against the window to the high pitch ringing through his headphones. Then, as if on cue, it screamed. It screamed loud and bloodcurdling, echoing around his head and never stopping. Hyun jerked back suddenly, dropping his spear and pressing his hands to ears in an attempt to quiet the sound. But it only got louder. It was the monster in his head, screeching and bellowing, before it faded into manic laughter. 

BANG

Hyun jumped back, falling to the floor before reaching for his spear. He raised it, thinking the monster was trying to break the door down, but the banging stopped, and soon the ringing faded too. Everything was silent, his monster radiated joy as he stood on shaky legs. 

Inhaling slowly he grabbed the handle and pushed. It didn’t budge. He pushed again and checked the lock. The door wouldn’t move. He put his spear down and gripped the handle with both hands, pulling it down desperately as he slammed his shoulder against the door.  _ Did the monster block it?  _ Hyun stepped back, pulled his backpack off, then began kicking the door harshly. The cool metal dented as his kicks became more and more desperate, his breathing picking up and anxiety rising. 

His kicking stopped as he caught his breath, he bent over with his hands on his knees as Hyun dropped his head. He needed to focus, focus on the door and the monster not the memories.  _ Ignore the memories.  _ So he straightened up and looked for the window.  _ You’ve got to be kidding me.  _ His eyes landed on the glass on the opposite window, shielded by metal bars on both the inside and the outside.  _ Of all the fucking rooms…  _ so he turned around, took a deep breath, and kept kicking. 

He smashed his fist against the door, shoving and kicking before collapsing against the floor.  _ “Got yourself in quite the pickle…” _

“...Shut up. This is your fault.”

“ _ I don’t think it is…”  _

“Fucking prick you knew the monster was coming so you screamed. This is your fault.” He snapped, anger and hatred boiling under the surface as he shifted and leaned his back against the door. 

“ _ Go ahead, pass the blame. Just like you’ve always done.”  _ It sneered. Hyun didn’t need to see it to know it was smiling. 

“Just shut up.”

“ _ Always blaming everyone else… never taking the blame. Funny isn’t it… the last time something like this happened it was your fault too.”  _ It giggled as he took a deep breath in an attempt to slow his heart. “ _ Come to think of it… this is perfect. Don’t you think? There’s no one to interrupt us, it’ll be hours until they even think of coming to find you…”  _ it’s tone was menacing as the hairs on the back of his neck stood. He tried to focus on something, anything to distract him. In the end he was pulled to his hoodie, it still smelled of EunHyuk and he zoned in on the scent as he exhaled slowly. “ _ Wanna play a game?”  _ And he slumped forward, eyes closed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is why we can’t have nice things :D  
> I used the monster from the Webtoon but I forgot if it was a man or woman so I winged it   
> I hope that was okay! Thanks for reading :D
> 
> Race <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I should have brought popcorn…” the monster groaned as the world shifted. He watched the shift, catching small glimpses into the broken worlds of the monster’s mind, his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!   
> Bit of an early update...  
> Warnings for graphic descriptions, gore and bullying
> 
> Enjoy <3

“I’ll buy you a beer if you get him to cry.”  _ No, no, anywhere but here.  _ He opened his eyes to the dark room and his heart dropped. The smell of bleach and beer overwhelmed his senses as he started to panic. The door opened and closed, a small chuckle bouncing around the room and Hyun curled into a ball. 

“You’re pathetic…” Kitea laughed and then he felt hands on his shirt and he was being pulled up. “Oh my god are you going to cry? Already? I haven’t even hit you yet!” He threw his head back as he cackled before his smile twisted and he reached behind him. His laughing stopped, the hand on his shirt that pinned him to the wall twisted and the pipe struck his ribs with a sickening crack. The laughing picked up again, the metal slamming into his chest and stomach as the hand let go and Hyun slumped to the ground. He cried out, curling into a ball and holding his arms over his head protectively. “Worthless piece of crap…” He shut his eyes and bit his hand in an attempt to muffle his cries. The blows never stopped, he knew they wouldn’t. They went on until Kitea gave up, he’d wanted to make Hyun cry, that was the bet. It never worked. They tried three times after too, each time he passed out before he let the tears fall. He knew which blow would be the last, he just had to wait. Just wait.  _ Just need to wait.  _

But the blow never came. Instead they kept coming and coming and never stopping. The sound of metal clanging against the tiles snapped him back to reality, unfortunately carrying all the pain with it as he let out a small whimper. But as he opened his eyes and looked up, Kitea wasn’t staring back at him. It was Hyuk. Chest puffing as he panted with a wicked smile. Then the room turned red and for a second Hyuk’s smile split his cheeks, it ran around his face and his jaw dropped to the floor. But then it was gone, the familiar blackness returning. 

“I’ve been wanting to do this since I set eyes on you… god you’re annoying. Always whining...always crying.  _ Make him a stop… help me…”  _ he taunted, voice dripping venom before he stepped back and swung his foot into Hyun’s ribs. He cried out, eyes swimming as he pulled in small desperate breaths. “I wish the security guard killed you...” And then the kicks kept coming and the taunts and the insults he never thought would come from Hyuk’s mouth, and the tears were streaming down his face before he could stop them. 

Hyuk let out a cheer and the door swung open, shining light onto Hyun’s crying form. He opened his eyes at the floor as his chest heaved then he looked up; meeting Jisoo and Jeahun’s joyful expressions and he broke down once again. 

_ “I should have brought popcorn…”  _ the monster groaned as the world shifted. He watched the shift, catching small glimpses into the broken worlds of the monster’s mind,  _ his mind.  _ The flashes of light and buzzing of voices faded as the world glitched into place. It was strange, how he watched it happen; curled into a ball on the ground as the pain dissolved and the tears dried. He would watch as the world clicked into place like a jigsaw yet he would always forget, forget that it wasn’t real, forget that if he tried hard enough he could get out, forget how he was trapped in a room with a monster on the loose. 

The first thing he felt was the squish of wet mud on his cheek, and if it wasn’t for the cold breeze and chirping birds he would have thought he was back in the warehouse. He pushed himself, staring at the trees around him. The monster had disappeared, leaving him alone in the forest to wonder what the fuck was going on. So he took a step forward, cringing when he saw the mud coating his white converse.  _ I’m still in my uniform?  _ He kept walking, eyeing his surroundings cautiously, the open nature once again sending waves of vulnerability through his chest. He wandered past a tree, his foot snapping a branch and then there was a black figure next to him. He turned his head and it was gone. 

_ I’m going insane.  _ So he kept going, but then he heard the crack of another branch and the figure was back at his side. He looked sideways in hopes of catching a glimpse, but it disappeared again. Unease sat like a cloud around him as he began avoiding the branches.  _ Does he only show up when I make a noise?  _

Crack.

He looked down in fear, keeping his eyes on the ground, the figure stood in front of him. It was black like a shadow, feet un-disturbing the mud. Hyun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He looked up. And it was gone. 

He walked for half an hour, every time he made a noise the shadow would stand around him and disappear the second he looked at him. His legs ached as he took another step, mind reeling and body tense with the aura of fear lingering around him. 

Crack. 

Hyun paused, taking a deep breath and staring straight forward as he waited for the shadow. But it never showed. So he turned around curiously. It was waiting. It’s entire body was black as it stood straight and tall in front of him. It stayed silent, but it was still there and Hyun daren’t avert his gaze as his heart hammered in his chest. Then it opened its mouth, uncovering red teeth as it smiled. 

It darted forward suddenly and Hyun thanked every god in existence for his reflexes as he jumped back and ran. The shadow followed. It was chasing him, feet not making a sound. Hyun sprinted until he found a small clearing; changing direction quickly in hopes of throwing the shadow off balance. But it simply followed, adapting with ease as they headed to the clearing. As he got there he noticed long planks of wood connected in the trees like a path, rope hanging tight between one tree to the next before the wood started again. Pushing aside the confusion, he sped up, distantly hoping that he would find someone to help. In the moment, he forgot that this wasn’t real, the mud and the trees and the shadow were all figments of the monster’s imagination. They, every single time, were simple attempts at bringing Hyun to breaking point. But that all went forgotten as his feet skidded in the mud and he almost lost balance, he felt himself slow down and the terror quickly became unbearable. 

The shadow halted abruptly, standing in the mud behind Hyun. He slowed down against his instincts, curiosity peaking as he turned to the still figure. It showed no signs of exhaustion, as if they hadn’t been sprinting. Then it’s head shifted slightly, indicating for Hyun to look up. And he did. 

He looked towards the rope, eyes meeting the swinging bodies of the survivors and he gasped, falling down against the damp mud as he stared at DuSik’s empty eyes in terror. Rope twisted tight around their necks as their bodies hung in a line. Hyun tried not to scream when he saw EunYu was still clawing at the rope desperately. 

“No… no… stop…” he choked out, tears welling up when her body finally relaxed. “No…” The shadow never moved, standing two metres away as it watched the swinging bodies. Hyun tore his eyes away, whimpering as he glanced around the clearing. A sob ripped from his throat as he caught DuSik’s wheelchair buried slightly in the mud. He kept searching, finding Jaehun’s sword, Jisoo’s bat, EunHyuk’s glasses, JaeHwan’s ear cuff. Each item sending a new wave of grief and pure terror through his body. 

His hands clenched in the mud as he stood up promptly, shaking his hands off the dirt as he looked back up. But the world glitched again, turning unnaturally red and then DuSik was in front of him. His face was mere inches away from his as the rope continued to dig into his neck, tight against his chin. His eyes were open, grey and empty, void of the life and care they held whenever Hyun met his gaze. His lips started moving, and Hyun wanted to cry as he heard the faint mumbling from the man he saw as a father. 

“Your...fau...lt.” Then his head turns, creaking against the rope as he turns to the shadow. “Hi...s turn….” and the monster darts towards him and grips his nick in one hand. He lifts him up, and Hyun kicks; to his horror his feet go right through the shadow as he’s lifted higher. Then the black shape is running with Hyun still in his hand, and within seconds they’re on the wooden plank. He blinks and the hand is replaced by tight rope and he’s staring down at the mud and leaves below.  _ This is how they all died.  _ He doesn’t understand what’s happening, he doesn’t know where he is or how he got here. But he does understand the pure terror running through his system, he understands the wetness on his cheeks and the small pleads falling from his lips. He blinks again and he’s balancing on the rope, the end of the rope around his neck is tied to the one under his feet. Seconds later he loses balance and he’s hanging from the knot. He kicks and claws and screams but he can’t breathe and the rope’s getting tighter and his visions going black and he’s crying so hard. He never stops, he’s choking and breathless but he never passes out. He turns his head wildly, meeting the eyes of Jisoo; they’re open and brimming with pain and it’s that moment he realises that none of them are dead. He shuts his eyes as he drops his hands. 

Then he looks down. The survivors are there, staring back at him and as he looks back at the rope he’s alone. They all stare at him blankly, watching as a Hyun chokes and cries.

He blinks again and he’s on the ground, the sky now illuminated by the moonlight. He’s on his knees, the damp mud soaking into the grey material of his school trousers, his hands tied around his back as he chokes on the rush of air that enters his lungs. There’s a bonfire sat in front of him and he looks up to meet the Lee siblings' strong gaze. They’re in a similar position to him, inhaling sharply on their knees. Despite the night time, he sees the shadow emerge from the darkness and stands behind the siblings. It doesn’t say anything, but Hyun can feel it’s eyes on him, in spite of their absence. 

Suddenly, there’s a voice echoing around the forest, startling the three teenagers. “Choose.” They all stare at each other in confusion, still panting. “Cha HyunSu. Choose.”

“What..?” He asks, the words falling from his lips unintentionally. 

“One will live. One will die. You choose.” His heart plummets at the words and he stares back at them both in horror. 

“No…”

“If you refuse, I’ll kill all three of you.” Hyuk opens his mouth to speak, but the world buzzed and then they’re both gagged. Hyun wants to cry, but he’s so numb from the previous events that he can only stare at the ground in fear. “One will live. One will die.”

“Please… don’t make me choose…” 

“Choose.” Hyun looks up, reading their eyes as they mumble past the gags. He stared at EunYu first, her eyes filled with terror, so much terror; he’s never seen that expression before, he’d always thought she was simply incapable of fear. But now tears were racing down her cheeks and sobs ripping from her throat as she desperately pulled at the bindings. She looks at him pleadingly and the urge to cry is suddenly becoming overwhelming. He turns to Hyuk, expecting to find the same terror and hysteric look. But all he finds is peace. He’s not sure why he’s surprised, his eyes rarely hold the emotions he expects. He stared into his eyes, searching for anything to indicate that his mask is still on, that he’s just being brave for his sister. But it’s not there, peace and certainty remain. His body is relaxed, a single tear falling from his eye and he nods at Hyun meaningfully. “Choose.” The trees echo. He stares at Hyuk desperately, urging him to show something, something other than fucking calmness. He nods again. 

“Please… please don’t make me do this. Don’t make me choose… kill me instead..” he’s begging on his knees, but he can’t find it in himself to care. One of the only people that he would consider a friend is about to be ripped away from him and it’s his fault. 

“Choose, or I kill them both.” The threat has changed, taking Hyun out of the equation completely, and it succeeds in making the teen more hysterical as he whimpers and pleads. “It’s decided. They both die.” 

“NO! HYUK! I CHOSE HYUK!” EunYu cries harder, doubling over as she sobs into the mud and he turns to look at Hyuk. He’s smiling, nodding at Hyun calmly but he can see it, the fear in his eyes and the tremble in his shoulders and the tears on his face. The shadow leans forward, grabbing Hyuk under the arms and then he steps forward. The world buzzed and the bonfire changes, it’s larger with sticks on top arranged like a table and Hyun can’t help the tears that fall from his face. 

“No, oh my god no… Hyuk… Hyuk I’m so sorry….” and then the shadow let’s go. 

Hyuk's back thumps against the flaming branches with a crack and the forest erupts with screams as the fire licks at his skin. The gag is gone, his screams are louder and the fire crackles wickedly. 

“NO! No EunHyuk oh god- HyunSu help him please, please help him, please you have to help him…” her gag is gone too and Hyun is crying harder at her words. “HyunSu… please! Do something! Please…. please don’t let my brother die.” The gag‘s back and then HyunSu’s standing. His feet are rooted to the ground, forced to stand and watch as Hyuk screams and begs. He can hear it, the croaked out ‘help me’ and he’s never cried so hard in his life. He watches, watches as his glasses fall off, as the skin blisters and bubbles, as it oozes and falls off, as the smoke rises from his chest. He watches as his screams die down, watches as the overwhelming stench of burning flesh filters into the cool air. He watches until the skin turns black and the fire fades away. 

He stops watching as the world glitches and slots into place around him, too numb and empty to feel any type of relief that it’s over. He’s vaguely aware of a presence behind him, lurking a few metres away but he simply doesn’t care as he drops to his knees. “I’m sorry… please… come back..” the pleads fall from Hyun’s lips while he stares at the ground, unaware. 

“ _Oh HyunSu_ …” the monster’s in front of him, his grey trainers in his field of vision. “That must have been hard…”

“Please… I’ll do anything, just bring him back.” 

“ _What? HyunSu I can’t.”_

“Yes, yes you can. Please, I’m begging you…”

“ _I can’t bring him back. You killed him. He’s gone.”_ It bends down and grips Hyun’s chin, lifting his head up to.

He stares at the black eyes in desperation, “no… no. He- he’s still alive…”

“ _You burned him Hyun. He’s not alive. You killed their leader. You killed her brother… you killed your only friend.”_ The tears spill over again as he shakes in the monster’s hold. 

“I killed him…” 

  
  


To say Hyuk’s worried is an understatement. Hyun left four hours ago, and he’s still not back. He bounces his leg anxiously as he stares at the cameras, hoping to find a glimpse of the other boy. “Hyuk?” He stills his leg, forcing the worry for his face as he turns around. 

“Jeahun…” he says, voice empty. 

“How many floors did you say Hyun was supposed to be checking?” The man leans against the table, fingers worrying the hem of his shirt. 

Sighing, Hyuk turns to the cameras. “Four. The bottom four too…” 

“You’re worried about him? Yeah me too.” The man mutters as he glances over the boy in front of him, noticing his tight shoulders and too blank face. “Want to send a search party?” 

“Mhm, I’ve been thinking about it, but…” 

“But?”

“I’m probably just worried for nothing.” He pushed his glasses up, turning back to the older with a small sigh. 

“You’re not the only one that’s worried. Jisoo is too. It doesn’t have to be a big party, me and Jisoo can just go up.” The man reassures, voice calm. 

“No, no I’m coming too.” 

“Shouldn’t you stay here?”

“I’m sure they can manage not to set the building on fire for half an hour.” He averts his gaze back to the cameras, ignoring the knowing smile pulling at Jaehun’s lips. 

“Alright, us three then.”

“We leave in ten.” 

The monster holds back a giggle as he stares at the sobbing boy at his feet.  _ That was easy.  _ Pathetic pleads fill the empty space around them as he begs for his friend to come back.  _ One last try.  _ He shifts and slots the world into place and disappears. 

Hyun feels the buzz; he opens his eyes at the feeling of something soft against his cheek. He looks around, smiling at the familiarity of his old bedroom. Hyun sits up slowly, grimacing at the dirty uniform clinging to his skin. His phone buzzes behind him as he changes, throwing on clothes he finds on the floor and sits at his desk. The clothes are less than clean, but they lack the smoke and mud his old school shirt holds. The monitor lights up as his fingers tap away at the keyboard. 

An hour later, his phone rings against his desk. He checks the time,  _ they don’t normally call at this time..  _ so he reaches over and answers warily. 

“Hello?”

“Cha HyunSu? This is Doctor Kim, I’m sorry to have to tell you this. It’s about your family..” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .... :)  
> Hope that was okay!   
> I can’t promise that there will be comfort in the next chapter....  
> Anyways I thanks for reading :D
> 
> Race <3


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Where are we starting first?” It had taken twenty minutes for Hyuk to try and explain to the others that they were searching as a precaution, not because Hyun was dead. 
> 
> He turned to Jaehun, prompting him to take the lead as they headed to the first floor. “We’ll check the first floor, even though I doubt he’s here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> Shoutout to my mutuals on twt for giving me inspiration especially @jimmywoolovebot :D  
> Warnings for graphic descriptions 
> 
> Enjoy <3

It was like a shot through his chest as the phone dropped to the floor. The man was mumbling through the speaker, but the words fell to deaf ears as Hyun stood on shaky legs. He wasn’t sure where he was going, the world around him felt foreign, as if he was an imposter in his own mind as he watched his hands grip the door handle.

But then he heard the muffled words of the doctor, “they died on impact…” and his knees gave out and he crashed to the floor.  _ No. Not them. Please anyone but them.  _ He let the doctor speak to thin air as he curled into a ball and used his arms to muffle his screams; the guilt overwhelming as his heart shattered in his chest. 

The world went unnoticed around the broken boy as it shifted into place, piece by piece, silently morphing into the shatters of the monster’s darkest thoughts. 

  
  


“Where are we starting first?” It had taken twenty minutes for Hyuk to try and explain to the others that they were searching as a precaution, not because Hyun was dead. 

He turned to Jaehun, prompting him to take the lead as they headed to the first floor. “We’ll check the first floor, even though I doubt he’s here.”

“Wait why?” Jisoo whispers, bat raised and eyes scanning the stairs.

“You said he’s been gone for four hours? Well if something happened on the first floor, we would have heard it. So it’s more than likely the third or fourth flour he’s on.”

“And we’re checking this one because…?”

“I could be wrong.” She snorts as they fall silent, Hyuk raising Yuri’s crossbow higher as they edge closer to the doors.

“What if a monster got to him?” Jisoo suddenly hissed, pausing as she stares at Hyuk anxiously. “Didn't you say that there was a new one? That Hyun couldn’t fight?” He nodded, face blank as his mind spins up images of Hyun getting ripped apart.

The atmosphere was tense as they proceeded around the hallways, Hyuk tried not to think about the possibility of them worrying about the wrong monster. Anxiety forms like cement in his stomach as he remembers the look of terror on Hyun’s face, the tears that fell from his eyes and the way he collapsed; the thought of the younger having to pull himself out of that alone sends waves of emotions through Hyuk as he shakes his head.  _ I’ll be there.  _

  
  


Hyun lifts his head slowly, immediately burying it back in his arms as the white of the room blinds him. He blinks into his knees before lifting his head to the white walls. Confusion clouds around him as he looks around; the room is white, empty spare the colourless slab in the corner, the bright lights reflect around the room aggressively. He looks down, his black joggers and grey shirt turning white.  _ Okay, what the fuck?  _ He stands on unsteady legs, opening his mouth to speak. But no words come out. He grasps at his throat, mouthing words desperately. His panic worsening as he slams his fist against the wall, the action silent. 

The time moves slowly as Hyun tries desperately to make a sound, fear coursing through him.  _ Did the monster take away my hearing?  _ Eventually he gives up, collapsing soundlessly against the slab and fighting the urge to cry as he curls into a ball.  _ I just need to sleep. I’ll sleep and this will all be over.  _

God was he wrong; he pulled at the bindings around his arms and ankles, staring at the scene in front of him. He tried to scream, but the words wouldn't come out, the bindings wouldn’t give and his heart was hammering in his chest. 

“HyunSu! Help me, please kid!” He looked with wild eyes towards GilSeob. The man was tied to a table, parts of the wood taken away and replaced with mesh under him. HyunSu knew what was happening the second he saw the bamboo stalks, he’d seen enough YouTube videos on torture methods to understand. “Please!” He begged, arms frantically pulling at the ropes and staring at him with pleading eyes. But HyunSu couldn’t move, he couldn’t even speak as he glanced towards JinOk and Dusiik. They were on separate tables next to him. The room was dark, the walls wet and the smell of manure lingered in the air. They all looked at him, begging him to help them, they understood too. But he couldn’t do anything. 

He felt the tears prickling at his eyes as he heard the first scream come from JinOk, the sound bouncing around the wall teasingly as he watched the blood drip down the stalk. Soon enough, DuSik screamed next; the sound sending shivers up Hyun’s spine as he wretched and pulled at the rope. He was sobbing silently by the time GilSeob joined them, howls joining the screams as they echoed against the walls like a choir. Hyun couldn’t make a sound as he watched them writhe in pain; he couldn’t stop thinking about the children, they’d lost so much, and now they were losing the three people that took care of them too, and it was all Hyun’s fault. 

He opened his eyes, head snapping up as he took in slow breaths. He was still in the white room, lights still blinding as he stood up and walked around. After a while, once his legs ached and his vision blurred, he laid against the slab and closed his eyes. 

It became a routine, the nightmares. He was watching, always watching. He watched Hyuk burn, watched DuSik, GilSeob and JinOk scream, watched ByeongIl’s back tear open and the spider monster eat its way out, watched EunYu claw at the rope around her neck for hours. He was always watching, in silence, unable to do anything but cry uselessly at the dead bodies. He wasn’t sure how long it had been, it felt like weeks, months even, but by now all he wanted was someone; someone to hold him, someone to talk to. He wanted to talk, he wanted to eat and cry and he wanted to not be alone. 

  
  


An uneasy feeling settled in Hyuk’s chest as they headed to the third floor, anxiety climbing up his throat while he tried to keep his face blank. He doubted it was working, Jaehun had sent enough knowing looks at him in the past hour for Hyuk to guess he was easier to read than usual. “Didn’t you say this floor was more likely?” Jisoo asked from in front, her bat hanging from a loose grip. 

“Yes. Judging by how long he was gone, I would say these two floors are the most plausible” Hyuk wanted to scream, they were going too slow, Hyun needed them now. What if he was injured and he needed their help? Or he was stuck in his head and suffering alone? What if he was already dead? “He’s going to be fine.” Jeahun’s words cut through his panicked mind like a knife, making the younger look up and nod coldly.   
  


Their headphones were silent, much like the bottom two floors, as they turned a corner and walked down the hall cautiously. “Has that always been there?” The men pause at Jisoo’s words, following her eyes to the bookcase that was laying in front of them. Despite the general appearance of the apartment building, the furniture seemed out of place. He eyed it suspiciously, eyebrows furrowing as he noticed it’s position. One end is pushed against a door, the other against the opposite wall, fitting perfectly between the width of the hallway. 

“There’s something wrong…” he murmurs, more to himself than the two behind him. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Look, it looks like it was planned. As if someone’s trying to block the door…”

“Someone? Or something?” They glance at each other nervously, moving towards the door slowly. 

“What if Hyun put it there to lock a monster in?” Jisoo hissed. 

“I doubt it, plus if it was a monster it would have just broken the door down, not dented the metal and given up”

“Plus there’s no ringing.” Jaehun says, pointing to the headphones with raised eyebrows. They make a silent agreement, shuffling until they’re positioned by the bookcase. In unison, the trio push, grunts falling from their lips as they slowly get it past the door frame. Soon enough, the doorway's clear; Jaehun moves, holding his sword up as he grips the handle. He opens the door a crack, before a weight against the metal pushes it open. They jump back, weapons raised until they recognise the figure on the ground. 

“HyunSu!?” Jisoo yells, bending down and reaching out hesitantly. 

“How did he end up in there?” 

“He’s crying… is he injured?”

“Shit… oh no.” The pair turn to Hyuk in confusion, noticing the worry in his tone as they watch him crouch down next to the boy. He turns his head, catching his open eyes and the shaking in his hands. Just as he reaches out, a deafening screech sounds through the hall as their earphones ring alarmingly. Hyuk stays knelt on the ground as the two raise their weapons. 

“What the fuck…” Jisoo mumbles as the first tentacle rounds the corner. 

“Hyuk grab him. Everyone inside now!” The younger pulls Hyun to his chest as he drags him into the room clumsily, the pair following behind him and quickly shutting the door. He cradles the boy to his chest, ignoring the stab in his heart as he hears the whimpers that fall from his lips. The screeching gets louder, before there’s a bang, and it’s gone. 

“Don’t tell me…” Jeahun curses as he moves to the door, grabbing the handle and pushing. It doesn’t move. He tried again, glancing at Jisoo as she joins him and pushes. 

“The monster locked him in. And now it’s locked us in too.” He states, eyes at the ground as he pulls Hyun into his lap. 

“Okay… what’s wrong with him?” Jisoo points her bat at the boy casually, an attempt to hide the worry that's bubbling beneath the surface. 

“It’s a long story.”

“We’re gonna be here a while.” She retorts, flopping against the floor and crossing her legs. He shrugs in response, not trusting his voice as he glances towards Hyun. His hands have moved to grip his shirt tightly, his tears wetting his flannel as his head rests against his shoulder. He knows he’s being too vulnerable, holding Hyun to his chest as the pair stare at him, but the idea of making the boy let go clenches his heart. So he swallows past the feeling and pulls him closer, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. 

“You don’t want to tell us? Or Hyun doesn’t?” Jaehun sits across from him next to Jisoo, sword in his lap as he cleans his glasses. 

“Both.” 

Screaming. That’s all Hyun could hear. He tried to cover his ears, to block it out, but his attempts were futile against the monster’s power. He shut his eyes tightly, but the image of YikYung crying was still there, chipping away at the edges of his dwindling sanity. 

Soon enough he was back in the white room, the lights sending waves of pressure over his head as he squinted. He stood, knees threatening to give; he gripped the edge of the slab tightly, a silent whimper falling from his lips before a wave of nausea washed over him and he collapsed. His body trembled, hand shaking against the floor as he tried to push himself up. He paused, eyebrows furrowing at the sudden foreign feeling; he twisted until he was leaning against the slab, before he felt it again and his eyes snapped towards the area. It was as if a ghost was brushing against his arm, small featherlight touches, and if he focused hard enough he could feel it in his hair too.

He zoned in on the feeling, eyes prickling at the slither of comfort it brought, before a wave of familiarity exploded in his mind and he had to hold back the tears as he focused.  _ Hyuk. It’s hyuk…  _ Hyun dragged every ounce of strength that remained and fought; squeezing his eyes shut as he cleared his mind and focused on the ghostly touches. Slowly, painfully so, the feeling became more prominent, introducing new energy into his clouded mind as he pushed further. 

It was as if waking from a dream; his eyes blinked open as the sensations washed over him one by one. There was something warm against him, and as the memories slipped into place he couldn’t help but bury his face into it. There was something in his hair, similar to the ghost-like touch and he couldn’t fight the way his body relaxed. He whimpered as he tried to hold back the tears, flinching at the sound, not expecting it to bounce around his head or the room. 

“Hey…” he flinched, gripping on tight to the warmth despite the sudden urge to flee. The voice was soft, calm, and Hyun couldn’t help but look towards it. He glanced up, eyes meeting those round glasses and Raven hair, and he couldn’t hold back the sob that ripped from his throat as he melted into the others' hold. His chest vibrated as the older shushed him gently, pulling him closer and brushing his fingers through his hair slowly. “It’s gonna be okay.” He said, grip tightening as Hyun buried his face into the material of his flannel and let the sensation surround him. The smell of  _ that  _ soap coupled with the fingers in his hair and the soft words worked together in grounding him. 

But as the world settled into place around him, awareness making its way back into Hyun’s too clouded mind, the previous sensations piled on. The sudden wave of nausea had him shifting and whimpering into the older’s neck, until he felt the bile rise in his throat and he had to push himself from the hold. He rolled against the ground, forearms against the floor as stomach flipped and bile spilled from his mouth. A hand appeared on his back, the gentle pressure aiding his seizing stomach as he coughed. It was then that he became aware of the presence of others in the room, but he couldn’t find the energy to care as his throat burned and his eyes watered. “I’m here…” he heard Hyuk say, but then another feeling appeared and the fear returned. 

He fought the spasms in his stomach as he reached behind him blindly, desperate for the comfort of Hyuk’s hold again. The other seemed to understand immediately, gripping him by the waist and pulling him back into his lap. 

“Hy- m’ sorry…” he spoke, voice croaking from his raw throat. 

“Hey, it’s okay. Just calm down, it’s gonna be okay…” his tone was soft as always, a gentle light in the dark as Hyun fought against his mind. 

“Please… I- I can’t hold on, oh god-“ the wetness against his cheeks went unnoticed as the older shuffled and brought him closer to his chest. His hand drifted to his shirt, unconsciously gripping the material as he sobbed. 

“It’s okay, just hold on for me okay? That’s all you need to do-“ Hyun shook his head, eyes brimming with unshed tears and desperation as he clung tighter. 

“I- I can’t. I’m sorry… please, I don’t wanna go back there. Don’t let him take me again-“ 

Hyuk held him tighter, tears spilling down his cheeks as he shushed him. “Hey- hey, it’s okay. Just listen to me okay?” Hyun nodded urgently, eyes drooping shut. “Good, that’s good Hyun. You need to let go. Hey- I know, I know. But the more you fight the worse it’s going to be, so just let go… I’ll be right here when you wake up. I won’t let go of you okay?” Tears soaked Hyuk’s shirt as Hyun relaxed and nodded. The last thing he saw was a warm smile and drying tears as he gave in and the monster took hold. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D  
> Hope that wasn’t terrible  
> Thanks for reading :D  
> If you want to drop by my Twitter it’s @Race127  
> Kudos and comments appreciated:}
> 
> Race<3


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He’s not okay, is he?” Jisoo asked as she shuffled forward, her bat resting against her folded legs. Hyuk shook his head; he felt small, like a child cradling his broken toy to his chest, but he couldn’t find the energy to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!  
> Sorry for the late update school started on Monday :( which means updates are probably going to be slower from now on. My exams are in like 2 weeks and if I fail I can’t go to college :D so I kinda have to focus on them for a while...  
> But I’ll update when I can :)
> 
> Enjoy <3

He let his head drop against Hyun’s forehead, cutting off the sob that climbed his throat as he took a deep breath. Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder; he flinched back, pulling Hyun tighter to his chest protectively as he snapped his head up. He was met with Jaehun’s kind gaze and Hyuk couldn’t help the tear that rolled down his cheek. The man’s hand stayed on his shoulder, he crouched down, placing his other hand on Hyun’s head hesitantly and staring at the boy curled into his chest. 

“He’s not okay, is he?” Jisoo asked as she shuffled forward, her bat resting against her folded legs. Hyuk shook his head; he felt small, like a child cradling his broken toy to his chest, but he couldn’t find the energy to care, he promised Hyun he wouldn’t let go, and he’ll be damned if he breaks that promise. 

“We will figure this out, I swear to you.” Jeahun’s voice was calm, carrying waves of emotion with it as his thumb rubbed circles into Hyuk’s shoulder slowly. He nodded again, not trusting his voice as he looked down and brushed his fingers through the younger’s hair. 

“Do you have a plan?” She said, head tilted. Hyuk tensed, eyes blinking back the tears as he pulled Hyun closer.  _ Why does it always have to be me?  _ He shook his head slowly, inhaling as he tried to think up a plan. But he couldn’t. He knew he couldn’t, it wasn’t like last time. Last time Hyun was dying in his lap, and for some reason he was the only one that was capable of thinking of a plan, but now the only thing he needed to do was hold him close; hold him close and hope the monster doesn’t destroy him completely before he wakes. He shook his head again solemnly, shutting his eyes as he prepared for whatever lecture he would receive. 

But it never came, Jaehun’s thumb continued rubbing circles into his shoulder and Jisoo simply hummed. “I’ll think of something, you just take care of him for now. Is that alright?” Hyuk’s shoulders dropped at the older’s words, sighing slightly and nodding his thanks.

They stayed in silence from that point on, Jaehun moved to sit against the wall next to Hyuk, placing a hand on his knee as he started to pray quietly. Under usual circumstances he would laugh, but the words filled the empty room, calming his heart as he focused on the muttering. Eventually, he felt Hyun tense before he whined softly. He shushed him as Jisoo shuffled forward even more; the trio creating a warm circle around the boy clinging to his chest as he started to cry. 

Jisoo was the first one to break the silence, coughing as she glanced at Jaehun before speaking. “I… I know you said that it was private, but can I ask you something?” Her voice was soft, and Hyuk was unsure which of the boys she was trying not to startle as he nodded. “The monster… that’s who he was talking about, right? He said that he didn’t want to go back there, what does that mean?” 

“Jisoo I don-“

“I- Yes? ... It’s the Infection. The monster… it can take control of him? Not his body, not yet, Hyun’s fighting tooth and nail to keep his body. But that… that means the thing has free reign inside his mind…” the atmosphere shifted, becoming tense as JaeHun placed a hand on his back. “He- he hasn’t told me much, but from what I know, the monster pulls him into his mind and keeps him trapped in these… nightmares? I don’t know, but this is the worst one yet.” 

“You’ve seen this before?” Jisoo hissed, voice tinted with worry. 

“This is the third time.” 

“And this is the worst one?”

“The first time I caught him right at the end of one. Last time… last time I was there when the monster pulled him in, it took me an hour to calm him down..” 

They drifted back into silence at the information, the trio staying close together as they waited for rescue. 

  
  


The sound of a door slamming shut echoed around the walls as the man lifted his head groggily. “What do you want?” He grumbled, rubbing his eyes and blinking them open. Sangwook looked up, eyes immediately meeting Yuri’s, he relaxed and dropped his head. 

“How long have they been gone?” She asked, voice tinted with urgency as she turns around and sits on the counter. 

“You know, you’re the third person to ask me that. 3 hours.”

“3 hours… there’s something wrong right? I mean, they should be back by now.” He sighs, fiddling with the lighter as he listens. “At the least Hyun should have come back… they only went on a whim. It’s been 7 hours since HyunSu left, they should all be back by now.” Her tone became more and more worried as she spoke, before she jumped off the counter and walked around. “Are you even listening to me?” He hums, eyes focused on the flame. Next thing Sangwook knew he was being dragged by the wrist out of the store, eyebrows quirking as Yuri pulled him along the hallways.

Eventually he was in the camera room, Yuri practically throwing him in before shutting the door behind her. He fixes his sleeve as he looks around the room, meeting the anxious eyes of GilSeob, DuSik and YikYung. 

“Why have I been dragged here?” He asks no one in particular, moving to sit on the table quietly. 

“We’re going up.” YikYung’s steady voice pierced the silence, certainty in her tone. 

“We?”

“Me, you and Yuri.”

“Ugh, why?” He’s aware he’s grumbling, but the idea that something happened to the kids up there sits like a weight in his stomach and he does  _ not  _ need the others to know. So he hangs his head, flicking his lighter disinterestedly as GilSeob speaks. 

“It’s been 7 hours since HyunSu went up, and 3 since Jaehun, Jisoo and Hyuk went to search for him. 7 hours is a long time for one of his long runs, let alone a quick scan of the bottom floors.” He talks behind him, voice low from sleep and tone firm. He nods, turning to DuSik. Not for the first time, Sangwook is struck by how fartherly the man seems towards the others, especially the boys. His face is blank, eyes carrying the anxiety and stress as he stares back; there’s a pleading note in there too, and he feels the sudden urge to simply go up there himself. He knows the man is worried, less about Jaehun and Jisoo, more about Hyun and Hyuk.  _ No change there.  _

_ “ _ You think something happened to ‘em?” 

“We don’t know. From what we know the others left because there’s a new monster that Hyun can’t fight, not alone at least, they went in case the monster got to him.” YikYung said. 

“New monster?”

“Behind you, there’s a description on one of the pages.” He twists, eyeing the table until he finds a page titled ‘octopus’. He picks it up, scanning the document and grimacing at the details. 

“Looks about as bad as the protein monster. Also… octopus?” Yuri snorts before DuSik speaks up with a smile. 

“That’s what they’ve named it i guess…”

_ Of course they did.  _ “Fucking teenagers…” 

“So it’s decided, we go up?” The three nodded, GilSeob standing abruptly and stalking over to Yuri. 

“If there is even the smallest ringing in that headphone I want you down here in ten seconds. Understood?” She smiles at him, shaking her head fondly. “I’m not joking, the last three that went up haven't returned, so… be. Careful.” He jabs his finger into her shoulder pointedly before grumbling under his breath and leaving the room. They all leave to gather their equipment, letting DuSik inform the rest of the survivors of the plan. 

  
  


“Good luck up there.” DuSik calls from behind them, the door slams shut and Sangwook inhales deeply before taking the lead. 

“Where do you think they’ll be?” Yuri asks first. She slings her backpack of supplies over her shoulder, hand gripping the Molotov tightly.

“Well Hyun should have only gone up the fourth floor, and I doubt the others would have checked higher. So we’ll start on the first floor and make our way up, if we haven’t found them by the fourth we’ll think of something else.” Yikyung speaks as they near the doors. Sangwook nods his approval, spinning the axe in his hand before opening the doors. 

  
  


Eventually Hyun settles down again, body relaxing slightly in Hyuk’s hold as his whimpers die down. The older tries to keep the relief out of his face as he leans his head back against the wall. He looks around, watching as Jisoo paces the room slowly, swinging her bat against her hand as she bites her lip. Jaehun is still next to him, using a piece of discarded material to clean the already spotless sword. 

He exhaled slowly, eyes scanning the bare room. It was empty, spare a broken bed frame, a fridge and the trash laying around the corners. The walls were damp, rot growing next to the window. 

“Ugh… how long are we gonna be in here.” Jisoo groaned, earning a light chuckle from Jaehun. 

“Patience is a virtue…” he replied, a small smile on his face. 

“It’s also boring. I could be bullying EunYu… but no. I’m here. How is that monster even smart enough to do this?” She drops down, back against the wall next to the door. She brings her knees to her chest as she starts biting her fingernail. 

“It’s probably not smart, it’s just using a survival instinct. It saw Hyun with a weapon then it saw Hyun jump into the room, so it put two and two together and here we are.” Hyuk says, head tilted back against the wall. 

“That doesn’t even make sense…” She groans, slumping further. 

“You’re welcome to draw your own conclusions.” He mumbled.   


The room falls silent again, until a faint ringing begins. Jisoo moves to talk, but Jaehun shushes her quickly. They all still, listening intently to the barely there sound; their eyes scan the room in search of the cause. Hyuk’s eyes land on his phone a few metres away. It fell out of his pocket when he dragged Hyun into the room, the headphone being pulled out with it. He didn’t even notice at the time, none of them did. But now, as he stares at the phone he can tell that the headphones laying on the floor are the cause of the sound. The other two catch on quickly; they both stand, weapons raised as the ringing gets louder. 

It took a second for the trio to catch the other sound that echoed around the walls, so focused on the ringing that they almost missed the voices. 

“Do you guys hear that?” Jisoo hissed, bat in an iron grip against her shoulder. They both nod before Jaehun stands against the door and presses his ear to the wood. He listened for a second, Hyuk and Jisoo watching with cautious eyes. Suddenly, he whips his to them, eyes wide 

“What?!” Jisoo whispers, stepping forward. 

“Sangwook… it’s Sangwook.” Jisoo moved forward, pushing past Jaehun and slamming her fist against the door. “What are you doing?”

“Telling them where we are.” She snapped, pounding the door harder. 

“You’re also bringing the monster here…” Hyuk mumbled, turning his head and pulling HyunSu closer. He shifted until Hyun’s head was resting against his neck, subconsciously moving his hand back to his hair and tangling his fingers in the short strands. 

Jisoo sighs, watching the action curiously. “He needs to be downstairs, if he wakes up here he’ll try and protect us. The sooner we’re out of here the sooner you can look after him properly.” He turns to her, shrugging and nodding towards the door. She smiles again before continuing. 

  
Soon enough there’s the sound of scuffling outside followed by a rush of cool air as the door swings open. Sangwook stands in the doorway, eyes immediately landing on Hyun’s figure. He glances at Hyuk, eyebrows raised in a silent question. “Finally…” Jisoo murmurs. Suddenly, YikYung and Yuri push past him, walking into the room to survey whatever damage they need to assess. Hyuk shifts uncomfortably, a sudden wave of vulnerability washing over him; he was fine with Jisoo and Jaehun seeing him holding Hyun, he couldn’t really care about Sangwook, but the way YikYung was staring at him brought back the feeling of her fist against his stomach and he was exhaling slowly. Despite the feeling, he pulled Hyun impossibly closer, looking towards the ground. The younger whined softly into his neck, the feeling of tears wetting his skin sent shivers up his spine. All he wanted was for them to be alone, Hyun needed Hyuk to pull him out from whatever hell he was in, but he couldn’t do that with five other adults watching him. 

“Is he okay?” Yuri spoke, breaking Hyuk from his train of thought as he looked up. She was crouching in front of him, scanning Hyun’s face and body expertly. 

“He’s fine, we just need to get him downstairs.” Jeahun calls from behind them, sensing Hyuk’s discomfort. 

“I’ll help you carry him.” SangWook walks forward, passing his axe to YikYung. Hyuk looks up, nodding slightly before adjusting his grip. He ignores the others as the pair adjust Hyun between them, each pulling an arm over their shoulders and hoisting him up. 

“What about the tentacle thing?” Jisoo asks, stepping in front of the pair and peaking around the door. 

“We’ll need to be careful.” Is all YikYung says before she takes the lead. 

They make their way down the hallway slowly, senses alert as they listened closely; Hyuk keeps note of the others body language, being the only one without headphones, he keeps his eyes forward and focuses on the noises around him. Hyun gasps softly, hand gripping onto Hyuk’s sleeve tightly, the rise and fall of his chest quickens as Sangwook sends a worried glare over his shoulders. _ Not the time, just hold a little longer.  _ Hyuk shakes his head, hoping the other gets the message as he squeezes the younger’s wrist. 

Just as they found the corner, the others paused in front of him. They glance back, a knowing look in their eyes as Hyuk starts to hear the ringing in Sangwook’s headphones. It’s all the warning they get before the slaps of tentacles against the tiles echo around the hall behind the group. “Run.” Is all the man says before he lets go of Hyun and stands behind them. Hyuk fumbles with Hyun’s dead weight, staring at Jaehun pleadingly. 

“Go. We’ll take care of it.” He says, head high and a smile on his lips. 

“I’m not leaving you-“ 

“We’ll be fine.” They all move, crowding in front of the two boys with their weapons raised. Hyuk swallows around the anxiety rising up his throat and turns. He staggers around the corner, gripping Hyun’s wrist tight enough to bruise and swears under his breath. He keeps walking, trying desperately to ignore the sound of the monster getting closer, the sound of the Sangwook groaning and Jaehun’s sword clattering against the floor. 

But he’s not moving fast enough, because soon enough the monster’s groaning is behind him and he’s pulling Hyun up higher and praying that he doesn't feel the death grip he has on his waist. The groaning turns into words, and then there’s something cold and wet wrapped around his ankle. Before he can process what’s happening, his foot is pulled out from under him and the pair crash to the floor. The monster’s grip tightens around his ankle, pulling him slowly towards it. He turns, back dragging against the floor as he grips the tiles desperately. He tries to get hold of something, anything, as his back burns and his ankle throbs. Hyuk kicks out, pushing one foot against the floor and kicking the other wildly. But it only angers the monster further and soon enough he’s laying on his stomach as his fingernails split against the stained ground. 

Abruptly, the grip loosens and the dragging comes to a halt. He twists, catching Jaehun’s raised sword and the screaming monster. He nods his appreciation, letting out a slow breath as his ankle burns from the monster’s touch. He adjusts his glasses as he stands unsteadily 

They move fast, Hyuk staggering forward and getting a hold on Hyun quickly. The others emerge seconds later, Sangwook immediately running to grab hold of Hyun’s other arm. The monster is still screeching behind them as they run, Sangwook and Hyuk limping behind. Soon enough they both realise they’re moving too slow and Sangwook makes up his mind. He loosens his grip, pulling Hyun from Hyuk’s grasp and lifting him into a bridal carry. His head lolls against his shoulder, feet swaying as the man adjusts. “Back pocket, there’s a knife.” Hyuk flinches at the man’s words, before nodding and pulling the knife from his jeans. They begin running again, gaining speed against the hysteric monster that writhes down the corridor. 

Soon enough the doors are nearing, running faster at the sight of their way out. Apparently the monster catches on however, as the tentacles hit the floor faster and the screeching becomes manic. They race to the door, Sangwook jumping through with Hyun in his arms. Jaehun slams the door behind them, the action too slow as one of the tentacles whips through the gap and snaps in Yuri’s face. YikYung and Jaehun push against the metal as the limb strains to find a hold. It whips around swiftly, the group ducking under as it swings from side to side. 

Hyuk stands suddenly, grabbing the limb with one hand and slicing the rough skin with the other. The pair against the door stop, opening it wide open as the tentacle slides from Hyuk’s grip and back into the hallway. Yuri appears from the side, fire hot against Hyuk’s face as she throws the Molotov. The monster is in flames instantly, the fire crackling as the body thumps to the floor and an ear piercing screech rings through the building. Jaehun slams the door shut, the lock finally clicking. The group collapses simultaneously, chests heaving as they finally relax. Sangwook rests against the railing of the stairs, Hyun’s body laying against the floor in front of him. 

“Next time there’s a new monster… we pair up.” Hyuk pants. 

“Next time?!” Yuri exclaims, slumping against the wall. 

Twenty minutes later, they’re at the bottom of the stairs, Hyun hanging between Hyuk and Sangwook as Jaehun rings the door. It swings open, the group greeted with a wooden spoon as Hyein and Byeongil stare at them wildly. 

“We’re not dead.” Is all Yikyung says before she shoves past them and stalks through the lobby. Their eyes land on Hyun’s unconscious figure, Byeongil snaps his glance to Hyuk, who keeps his face cool as he raises his eyebrows. 

“He’s not dead either.” The pair let out exaggerated breaths before quickly moving from the stairs. The atmosphere oozes worry as they carry Hyun to the camera room, the residents looking on anxiously. Hyuk ignores them as they ask questions. Jumbles of “is he okay?” And “what happened?” blurring around him as he grips the younger a little tighter. 

Sangwook helps settle him on the mattress, nodding before leaving. Jaehun hands him a bottle of water, patting him on the back with a smirk before saying, “take care of him.” He nods, allowing a small smile before turning back the figure on the bed. The door closes, and Hyuk lets the tension fall from his shoulders momentarily as he slumps to the ground. 

He crosses his legs next to the thin mattress, looking over Hyun’s unconscious form and rolling his neck. Hyuk leans forward to brush a strand of hair from Hyun’s head gently, fingers drifting up as he starts threading them through the soft strands. 

“I promise I’ll get you out.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that was okay!  
> Thanks for reading :D  
> Comment and kudos always appreciated:)
> 
> Race <3

**Author's Note:**

> I’m so mean to him...  
> Hope that was okay!  
> I’m not sure who I’m gonna get to comfort him yet...  
> Also I couldn’t stop thinking about Hyun calling Gil-seob grandpa like the kids :)  
> New chapter soon  
> Also my Twitter is Race12 if you want to drop by :)  
> Race <3


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